Outcome of cancer patients admitted through the emergency department (ED) of a comprehensive cancer center: A call for ED-based palliative care.

194 Background: The National Cancer Policy Forum advocated for improving quality of end life care, and reducing cost for cancer patients. Identifying those at high risk for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, and hospital death may allow earlier palliative care and avoid futile interventions. The purpose of this study is to examine risk factors for ICU admission, and hospital death among cancer patients admitted through the emergency department (ED). Methods: We queried MD Anderson Cancer Center databases for all patients who visited our ED in 2010. ICU admission and hospital deaths of these patients were reviewed, and individual patients’ data were analyzed. Results: In 2010, 16,038 ED visits were made by 9,246 unique cancer patients. Of these patients, 5,362 (58%) were admitted to the hospital at least once (range 1-13 admits). Of all patients admitted through the ED, 697 (13%) were admitted at least once to ICU. Of all patients admitted, 11% died during hospitalization; of those, 29% died in ICU. Amon...