Table 1 Characteristics of participants (N = 319)
Variable | n | % |
|---|---|---|
Family surrogates | ||
Gender | ||
Male | 130 | 40.8 |
Female | 189 | 59.2 |
Relationship with the patient | ||
Spouse | 94 | 29.5 |
Adult child | 173 | 54.2 |
Others | 52 | 16.3 |
Marital status | ||
Non-married | 78 | 24.5 |
Married | 241 | 75.5 |
Educational level | ||
> High school | 158 | 49.5 |
≤ High school | 161 | 50.5 |
Financial sufficiency | ||
Yes | 268 | 85.9 |
No | 44 | 14.1 |
Preexisting mental health and medical problems in the past year | ||
Hospitalization due to medical problems | ||
Yes | 14 | 4.4 |
No | 305 | 95.6 |
Hospitalization due to mental health problems | ||
Yes | 0 | 0.0 |
No | 319 | 100.0 |
Emergency room visits | ||
Yes | 22 | 6.9 |
No | 297 | 93.1 |
Use of medications for problems with pain | ||
Yes | 35 | 11.0 |
No | 284 | 89.0 |
Use of medications for problems with anxiety | ||
Yes | 8 | 2.5 |
No | 311 | 97.5 |
Use of medications for problems with depression or other psychiatric disturbances | ||
Yes | 3 | 0.9 |
No | 316 | 99.1 |
Age (mean [SD]) | 49.86 [12.52] | |
Patients | ||
Gender | ||
Male | 203 | 63.6 |
Female | 116 | 36.4 |
Primary disease | ||
Cancer | 160 | 50.2 |
Pulmonary | 22 | 6.9 |
Cardiovascular | 15 | 4.7 |
Kidney | 16 | 5.0 |
Other | 106 | 33.2 |
Acute symptoms/problems at admission | ||
Respiratory failure/distress | 166 | 52.0 |
Infection | 90 | 28.2 |
Shock | 24 | 7.5 |
Cardiac arrest | 12 | 3.8 |
Others | 27 | 8.5 |
Comorbidity | ||
Yes | 271 | 85.0 |
No | 48 | 15.0 |
Variable | Median | Interquartile range |
|---|---|---|
Age (years, mean [SD]) | 66.67 (14.22) | |
APACHEa | 28.0 | 24–32 |
Length of ICU stay (days) | 17.0 | 10–29 |
Time from enrollment to death (days) | 4.0 | 2–9 |