Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36418032›Full record

Observational studyBMJ supportive & palliative care2022

Symptom management in people dying with COVID-19: multinational observational study.

Adejoke Obirenjeyi Oluyase, Sabrina Bajwah, Katherine E Sleeman, Catherine Walshe, Nancy Preston, Mevhibe Hocaoglu, Andy Bradshaw, Rachel L Chambers, Fliss E M Murtagh, Lesley Dunleavy and 3 more

Open access · hybridAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMJ supportive & palliative care, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.1field-weighted citation impact, top 51% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Adejoke Obirenjeyi OluyaseCicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King's College London, London, UK adejoke.oluyase@kcl.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1506-7262
Sabrina BajwahCicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5338-8107
Katherine E SleemanCicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9777-4373
Catherine WalsheInternational Observatory on End of Life Care, Division of Health Research, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4531-8608
Nancy PrestonInternational Observatory on End of Life Care, Division of Health Research, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
Mevhibe HocaogluCicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King's College London, London, UK.
Andy BradshawCicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King's College London, London, UK.
Rachel L ChambersCicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King's College London, London, UK.
Fliss E M MurtaghCicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1289-3726
Lesley DunleavyInternational Observatory on End of Life Care, Division of Health Research, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
Matthew MaddocksCicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King's College London, London, UK.
Lorna K FraserDepartment of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1360-4191
Irene J HigginsonCicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3687-1313
King's College London · GBLancaster University · GBUniversity of York · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/V012908/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo describe multinational prescribing practices by palliative care services for symptom management in patients dying with COVID-19 and the perceived effectiveness of medicines.

methodsWe surveyed specialist palliative care services, contacted via relevant organisations between April and July 2020. Descriptive statistics for categorical variables were expressed as counts and percentages. Content analysis explored free text responses about symptom management in COVID-19. Medicines were classified using British National Formulary categories. Perceptions on effectiveness of medicines were grouped into five categories; effective, some, limited or unclear effectiveness, no effect.

results458 services responded; 277 UK, 85 rest of Europe, 95 rest of the world, 1 missing country. 358 services had managed patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. 289 services had protocols for symptom management in COVID-19. Services tended to prescribe medicines for symptom control comparable to medicines used in people without COVID-19; mainly opioids and benzodiazepines for breathlessness, benzodiazepines and antipsychotics for agitation, opioids and cough linctus for cough, paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for fever, and opioids and paracetamol for pain. Medicines were considered to be mostly effective but varied by patient's condition, route of administration and dose.

conclusionsServices were largely consistent in prescribing for symptom management in people dying with COVID-19. Medicines used prior to COVID-19 were mostly considered effective in controlling common symptoms.

Indexed as

COVID-19Palliative CareAcetaminophenBenzodiazepinesCoughHumansAcetaminophenBenzodiazepinesCOVID-19End of life careHospice careSymptoms and symptom managementTerminal care

Identifiers

PMID36418032
PMCPMC9691812
OpenAlexW4295866288

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.