Clinical and laboratory characteristics associated with referral of hospitalized elderly to palliative care.

Objective To investigate clinical and laboratory characteristics associated with referral of acutely ill older adults to exclusive palliative care. Methods A retrospective cohort study based on 572 admissions of acutely ill patients aged 60 years or over to a university hospital located in São Paulo, Brazil, from 2009 to 2013. The primary outcome was the clinical indication for exclusive palliative care.