Chapter 4 80 Table 3. Emergency department-visit and follow-up characteristics of 78 patients with a haematological malignancy and 420 patients with a solid tumour. ED-visit Total n=498 HM-patients n=78 ST-patients n=420 n (%) n (%) n (%) P-value Diagnostic imaging 319 (64.1) 53 (67.9) 266 (63.3) 0.326 Laboratory tests 419 (84.1) 69 (88.5) 350 (83.3) 0.204 Clinical diagnosis Infection or fever 122 (24.5) 36 (46.2) 86 (20.5) <0.0001 Bronchopulmonary insufficiency 71 (14.3) 17 (21.8) 54 (12.9) 0.051 Renal insufficiency or hydronephrosis 59 (11.8) 12 (15.4) 47 (11.2) 0.308 Cachexia 44 (8.8) 4 (5.1) 40 (9.5) 0.177 Pleural effusion 36 (7.2) 5 (6.4) 31 (7.4) 0.750 Ascites 35 (7.0) 1 (1.3) 34 (8.1) 0.010 Bleeding 33 (6.6) 3 (3.8) 30 (7.1) 0.250 Jaundice 24 (4.8) 1 (1.3) 23 (5.5) 0.151 Neuropathy or plexopathy 20 (4.0) 3 (3.8) 17 (4.0) >0.999 Ileus or passage disturbances 18 (3.6) 0 (0.0) 18 (4.3) 0.091 Urine retention 14 (2.8) 1 (1.3) 13 (3.1) 0.707 Seizure 14 (2.8) 1 (1.3) 13 (3.1) 0.707 Fracture 10 (2.0) 0 (0.0) 10 (2.4) 0.375 Deep venous thrombosis 8 (1.6) 1 (1.3) 7 (1.7) >0.999 Coma 8 (1.6) 0 (0.0) 8 (1.9) 0.617 Delirium 8 (1.6) 2 (2.6) 6 (1.4) 0.365 Pulmonary embolism 8 (1.6) 1 (1.3) 8 (1.9) 0.617 Spinal cord compression 5 (1.0) 0 (0.0) 5 (1.2) >0.999 Treatment for main symptom initiated at ED 284 (57.0) 54 (69.2) 230 (54.8) 0.010 Time spent at ED in hours:minutes, median (range) 3:32 (0:12-18:01) 3:37 (0:42-12:12) 3:39 (0:12-18:01) 0.708 Follow-up ED-visit followed by hospital admission 390 (78.3) 71 (91.0) 319 (76.0) 0.001 Observed survival in days, median (95% C.I.) 17 (15-19) 15 (10-20) 18 (15-21) 0.028 Place of death <0.0001 Clinical ward 143 (28.7) 30 (38.5) 113 (26.9) ICU or ED 34 (6.8) 23 (29.5) 11 (2.6) Home 173 (34.7) 12 (15.4) 161 (38.3) Nursing or residential home 12 (2.4) 3 (3.8) 9 (2.1) Hospice 47 (9.4) 2 (2.6) 45 (10.7) Unknown 89 (17.9) 8 (10.3) 81 (19.3) List of abbreviations: ED: emergency department; HM: haematological malignancy; ST: solid tumour; ICU: intensive care unit.
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