[Characteristics of patients with breathlessness - results of the german hospice and palliative care evaluation]. / Charakteristika von Palliativpatienten mit Atemnot.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Breathlessness is a common and distressing symptom in patients with advanced life-limiting disease. The aim of this study was to describe demographical and clinical characteristics of patients with breathlessness in Germany. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of hospice and palliative care inpatient data from 2006 to 2008. The Hospice and Palliative Care Evaluation (HOPE) is an annual prospective German survey, that includes a validated 16-item symptom-and-problem checklist (severity score 0-3). Characteristics of patients with or without breathlessness were compared in a pure descriptive manner. Interpretation of given p-values takes the error inflation due to multiple testing into account. RESULTS: Breathlessness was recorded in 2860/5320 (53.8 %) patients (mean age 67.2 years (SD 12.4), 51.4 % female, 93.6 % malignant disease (female / male lung cancer 15.7/29.5 %, breast cancer 20.3/0.3 %, colon 10.3/8.7 %)). Breathless patients compared with those without breathless ness had a significantly worse functional status (ECOG 3-4 78.4 % vs. 70.8 %, p < 0.001), suffered from a larger number (11.1 vs. 9.5, p < 0.001) of symptoms and the symptoms were of higher intensity (except confusion). Breathless patients had a higher risk to die during inpatient stay (43.5 % vs. 32.4 %, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Based on this large sample of hospice and palliative care inpatients, breathlessness is associated with a high symptom burden and shortened survival. Breathless patients need more attention in health care.