This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Rees, E. Articles by A'Hern, R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Rees, E. Articles by A'Hern, R. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Cancer Palliative Care Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The use of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) within a palliative care unit in the UK

Department of Palliative Medicine, Royal Marsden NHS Trust, London and Surrey

Janet Hardy

Julie Ling

Karen Broadley

Roger A'Hern

Department of Palliative Medicine, Royal Marsden NHS Trust, London and Surrey

The Edmonton Symptom Assessment scale (ESAS) was used on 1004 occasions to assess 71 patients with advanced malignant disease admitted to a palliative care unit in the UK over a six-week period. The median length of inpatient stay was eight days (range 1–36) and the median survival from start of ESAS to death was 16 days (range 2–202). Across all patients there was a trend towards worsening symptom scores over the first five days from admission with a significant deterioration in appetite scores. When scores were analysed retrospectively over five days according to outcome (death–group 1, or discharge–group 2) there was a significant improvement in pain scores in group 2 but no change in overall score, and a significant deterioration in activity, drowsiness and appetite in group 1 with no change in overall score. ESAS did not seem an appropriate tool in this group of patients as the total symptom scores were so often biased by the inevitable increase in individual symptom scores immediately prior to death.

Key Words: neoplasms • outcome and process assessment (health care) • palliative care • quality of life

Palliative Medicine, Vol. 12, No. 2, 75-82 (1998)
DOI: 10.1191/026921698674135173


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. Lasheen, D. Walsh, K. Hauser, T. Gutgsell, and M. T. Karafa Symptom Variability During Repeated Measurement Among Hospice Patients With Advanced Cancer American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, October 1, 2009; 26(5): 368 - 375. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. Saxby, R. Ackroyd, S. Callin, C. Mayland, and S. Kite How should we measure emesis in palliative care? Palliative Medicine, July 1, 2007; 21(5): 369 - 383. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. Kirkova, M. P. Davis, D. Walsh, E. Tiernan, N. O'Leary, S. B. LeGrand, R. L. Lagman, and K. M. Russell Cancer Symptom Assessment Instruments: A Systematic Review J. Clin. Oncol., March 20, 2006; 24(9): 1459 - 1473. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. A. Paice Assessment of Symptom Clusters in People With Cancer J Natl Cancer Inst Monographs, July 1, 2004; 2004(32): 98 - 102. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R M Pickering Statistical aspects of measurement in palliative care Palliative Medicine, June 1, 2002; 16(4): 359 - 364. [PDF]

				L. Radbruch, R. Sabatowski, G. Loick, I. Jonen-Thielemann, M. Kasper, B. Gondek, K. A Lehmann, and I. Thielemann Cognitive impairment and its influence on pain and symptom assessment in a palliative care unit: development of a Minimal Documentation System Palliative Medicine, June 1, 2000; 14(4): 266 - 276. [Abstract] [PDF]

				N Pratheepawanit, M S Salek, and I G Finlay The applicability of quality-of-life assessment in palliative care: comparing two quality-of-life measures Palliative Medicine, June 1, 1999; 13(4): 325 - 334. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C Salisbury, N Bosanquet, E K Wilkinson, P J Franks, S Kite, M Lorentzon, and A Naysmith The impact of different models of specialist palliative care on patients' quality of life: a systematic literature review Palliative Medicine, January 1, 1999; 13(1): 3 - 17. [Abstract] [PDF]