The impact of palliative care consultation on reducing antibiotic overuse in hospitalized patients with terminal cancer at the end of life: a propensity score-weighting study

Abstract

Objectives: A substantial number of hospitalized patients with terminal cancer at the end-of-life phase receive antibiotics, even with imminent death. We evaluated the impact of palliative care consultation on antibiotic use in hospitalized patients with terminal cancer during the end-of-life phase.

Methods: We identified adult patients with metastatic solid cancer who died at a tertiary medical centre in Seoul, Republic of Korea, following at least 4 days of hospitalization (January 2018-December 2020). Patients were divided into palliative and non-palliative care consultation groups. Propensity score-weighted, multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to compare the proportion of patients receiving antibiotics within 3 days before death between the two groups.

Results: Among 1143 patients analysed, 940 (82.2%) received antibiotics within 3 days before death. The proportion of patients receiving antibiotics was significantly lower (propensity score-weighted P < 0.001) in the palliative care consultation group (344/468; 73.5%) than in the non-palliative care consultation group (596/675; 88.3%). The decrease in the proportion of patients receiving antibiotics in the palliative care consultation group was significant for a carbapenem (42.4% versus 22.4%; P < 0.001), a glycopeptide (23.3% versus 11.1%; P < 0.001) and a quinolone (30.5% versus 19.4%; P = 0.012). In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, receiving palliative care consultation (adjusted OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.33-0.65; P < 0.001) was independently associated with reduced antibiotic use during the end-of-life phase.

Conclusions: Palliative care consultation may reduce aggressive antibiotic use in hospitalized patients with terminal cancer during the end-of-life phase.