Emergency Department Visits at the End of Life of Patients With Terminal Cancer: Pattern, Causes, and Avoidability.

Frequent emergency department visits (EDVs) by patients with terminal cancer indicates aggressive care. The pattern and causes of EDVs in 154 patients with terminal cancer were investigated. The EDVs that started during working hours and ended by home discharge were considered avoidable.

The Relation Between the Timing of Palliative Care and the Frequency and Timing of Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders Among Cancer Deaths in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

The medical records of 246 in-hospital cancer deaths were reviewed to explore the relation between palliative care (PC) timing and the frequency and timing of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) designation. The rate of DNR designation was 100% in patients referred to PC and 82% in those never referred (P < .001).