Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients and proxies

n

140

70

14

56

70

14/56

Age (years)

73.5 (63 to 88)

70 (59 to 80)

67 (61 to 78)

70 (59 to 83)

78(70 to 83)

0.378

Sex, male/female (%)

63.2/36.8

66.4/33.6

64.3/35.7

66.4/33.6

60/40

0.832

APACHE II score

-

14 (11 to 16)

12 (10 to 16.2)

14 (12 to 16)

-

0.502

SAPS

-

29 (22 to 36)

22 (17 to 31)

30 (26 to 37)

-

0.333

ICU/CCU length of stay (days)

-

2 (2 to 4)

2 (2 to 3)

2 (2 to 4)

3 (2 to 4)

0.432

Hospital length of stay (days)

-

15.5 (9 to 24)

15 (10 to 26)

15 (8 to 23)

7 (4.7 to 11)

0.530

Ventilation days

-

1 (0 to 2)

1.5 (0.7 to 2)

0 (0 to 2)

-

0.075

Diagnostic groups

Cardiovascular

85 (60.7)

15 (21.4)

2 (14.3)

15 (26.8)

70 (100)

0.431

   Respiratory

11 (7.9)

11 (15.7)

3 (21.4)

8 (14.3)

-

0.581

Gastrointestinal

32 (22.9)

32 (45.7)

5 (35.7)

25 (44.6)

-

0.694

   Neurological

1 (0.7)

1 (1.4)

-

-

-

-

   Urological

6 (4.3)

6 (8.6)

4 (28.6)

3 (5.4)

-

0.026

   Others

5 (3.6)

5 (7.1)

-

5 (8.9)

-

-

Type of proxy

   Spouse

96 (68.6)

47 (67.1)

11 (78.6)

36 (64.3)

48 (68.6)

0.659

   Child

40 (28.6)

20 (28.6)

2 (14.3)

18 (32.1)

22 (31.4)

0.302

   Brother/sister

2 (1.5)

1 (1.4)

1 (7.1)

-

-

-

   Parents

2 (1.5)

2 (2.9)

-

2 (3.6)

-

-