Retrospective evaluation of clinical characteristics of patients in Dicle University Medical Faculty Hospital Family Medicine palyative care service

Introduction and Aim: In this study, the sociodemographic characteristics, hospitalization diagnoses, length of hospitalization, clinical features, discharge status and factors affecting them in the last 2 years in the Dicle University Medical Faculty Hospital Family Palliative Care Center, determination of preventable and treatable conditions, after palliative service care It was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment they received by observing the changes and well-being of the patients. Material and Methods: The population of the study consisted of the patients hospitalized at Dicle University Medical Faculty Palliative Care Center between 01.01.2018-01.01.2020. Sociodemographic characteristics, hospitalization diagnoses, comorbid disease states, diagnosis and type of malignancy, polypharmacy, presence and type of infection, antibiotic use, use of analgesics, presence of pressure sores, length of stay, and discharge status of 321 patients who meet the inclusion criteria It was obtained by accessing the records in the probel system. SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) for Windows 21.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, USA) program was used for statistical analysis. The normal distribution of the data was checked with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. While evaluating the study data, descriptive statistical methods (Mean ± Standard deviation, median, number, percentage) as well as Student's t test in paired groups for the significance of the differences between the means in the comparison of quantitative data, One Way ANOVA test in multiple groups, and for parameters that do not show normal distribution Mann Whitney U test will be used in paired groups and Krukal Wallis Test will be used in multiple groups. For the comparison of qualitative data, Chi- Square (Fisher's exact test if necessary) was used. In examining the relationships between parameters, Pearson correlation test was used for parameters with normal distribution, and Spearman's rho correlation test was used for parameters not showing normal distribution. Logistic regression model will be used for multivariate analysis. The results were evaluated at a 95% confidence interval and the significance level was p≤0.05. Results: Looking at the gender distribution of 321 patients included in the study, it was found that 150 (46,7%) patients were male and 171 (53,3%) patients were female. The average age of the patients was 69 (18-96), the average age of the inpatients was 70 (24-96), the average age of the inpatients was 68 (18-88), and there was no statistically significant difference between men and women in terms of age (p: 0.185). The most common hospitalization diagnosis; Malignancy was in the first place with 17,1%, the second was infection and the third was hospitalization due to cerebrovascular event diagnoses. The average length of stay of 321 patients in our palliative care center was 9 ± 6.5 (2-33) days. The average length of stay was 9 ± 5,9 (2-29) days in men, while it was 9 ± 5.9 (2-33) days in women. When the median value of the patients on hospitalization was examined, it was found that it was 10,5 days for men and 11.3 days for women. There was no statistically significant difference between men and women in terms of length of stay (p: 0.526). The relationship between age and length of stay was evaluated using correlation analysis. A statistically significant and positive correlation was found (r: 0.257) (p: <0.001). A statistically significant and positive correlation was found between age and length of stay in men (r: 0.257) (p: 0.001). A statistically significant and positive correlation was found between age and length of stay in women (r: 0.257) (p <0.001). When the clinical characteristics of the patients were examined, it was found that 151 (47%) patients had infection, 72 (22,4%) patients had pressure sores, 151 (47) patients used antibiotics, 194 (60,4%) patients had anemia, and 67% of the patients had polypharmacy. . When the discharge status of the patients was examined, it was determined that 81,6% were discharged, 5,9% transferred to another clinic and 10% transferred to intensive care. It was determined that 2,5% of the patients died in our clinic. KEYWORDS: Pallative care, End of life care