Key and additional palliative care symptoms recorded in free text
| Symptoms | Incidence in all analysed free text (n = 575 attendances), n (%) | Incidence in attendances originally coded as ‘Other’ (n = 163), n (%) | Incidence in attendances originally coded as ‘Missing’ (n = 130), n (%) | Incidence in attendances originally coded as ‘Pain’ (n = 40), n (%) | Incidence in attendances originally coded as ‘Palliative care’ (n = 101), n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key palliative care symptoms recorded in free text | |||||
| Breathlessness | 116 (20.2) | 29 (17.8) | 18 (13.8) | 6 (15.0) | 21 (20.8) |
| Vomiting | 84 (14.6) | 22 (13.5) | 13 (10.0) | 7 (17.5) | 21 (20.8) |
| Cough | 73 (12.7) | 18 (11.0) | 7 (5.4) | 5 (12.5) | 10 (9.9) |
| Nausea | 65 (11.3) | 8 (4.9) | 4 (3.1) | 8 (20.0) | 15 (14.9) |
| Weakness | 52 (9.0) | 5 (3.1) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (5.0) | 8 (7.9) |
| Fatigue | 46 (8.0) | 17 (10.4) | 4 (3.1) | 2 (5.0) | 14 (13.9) |
| Anorexia | 45 (7.8) | 16 (9.8) | 3 (2.3) | 4 (10.0) | 8 (7.9) |
| Confusion | 44 (7.7) | 13 (8.0) | 9 (6.9) | 2 (5.0) | 10 (9.9) |
| Fever | 36 (6.3) | 7 (4.3) | 4 (3.1) | 2 (5.0) | 5 (5.0) |
| Respiratory secretions | 36 (6.3) | 17 (10.4) | 7 (5.4) | 2 (5.0) | 12 (11.9) |
| Constipation | 31 (5.4) | 5 (3.1) | 5 (3.8) | 5 (12.5) | 5 (5.0) |
| Anxiety | 26 (4.5) | 11 (6.7) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 8 (7.9) |
| Diarrhoea | 18 (3.1) | 2 (1.2) | 2 (1.5) | 1 (2.5) | 5 (5.0) |
| Low mood | 7 (1.2) | 15 (9.2) | 3 (2.3) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.0) |
| Additional palliative care symptoms recorded in free text | |||||
| Agitation or distress | 24 (4.2) | 3 (1.8) | 3 (2.3) | 0 (0.0) | 13 (12.9) |
| Oedema | 10 (1.7) | 1 (0.6) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (2.5) | 7 (6.9) |
| Weight loss or cachexia | 9 (1.6) | 4 (2.5) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (2.5) | 2 (2.0) |
| Dizziness | 8 (1.4) | 1 (0.6) | 2 (1.5) | 1 (2.5) | 2 (2.0) |
| Jaundice | 6 (1.0) | 1 (0.6) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (2.0) |
| Coma or unconscious | 5 (0.9) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (1.5) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.0) |
| Reflux or dysphagia | 5 (0.9) | 2 (1.2) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (2.5) | 0 (0.0) |
| Acute neurology | 4 (0.7) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (3.1) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Hallucinations | 4 (0.7) | 1 (0.6) | 1 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.0) |
| PR or PV bleeding | 4 (0.7) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.0) |
| Anaemia | 3 (0.5) | 3 (1.8) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Ascites | 3 (0.5) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (2.0) |
| Bowel obstruction | 3 (0.5) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.0) |
| Haematemesis or haemoptysis | 3 (0.5) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.0) |
| Cyanosis or hypoxia | 2 (0.3) | 1 (0.6) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Dysuria | 2 (0.3) | 1 (0.6) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Haematuria | 2 (0.3) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Itch | 2 (0.3) | 2 (1.2) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Seizure | 2 (0.3) | 1 (0.6) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (2.0) |
| Urinary retention | 2 (0.3) | 1 (0.6) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Abdominal distention | 1 (0.2) | 1 (0.6) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Hypercalcaemia | 1 (0.2) | 1 (0.6) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Infection | 1 (0.2) | 1 (0.6) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Total | 106 (18.4) | 25 (15.3) | 15 (11.5) | 4 (10.0) | 35 (34.7) |
PR = per rectum. PV = per vaginal.