title: Pattern of referral of noncancer patients to palliative care in the eastern province of saudi arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The palliative care (PC) needs of patients with noncancer life-threatening illnesses are comparable to that of cancer patients. This report describes the contribution of noncancer patients to the population of PC patients in a tertiary care hospital in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective review of the "palliative care inpatient database" of 21 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 474 patients, 20 (4.2%) had a noncancer diagnosis. The main reason for the referral of noncancer patients was pain control. The most prevalent diagnoses were sickle cell disease (SCD) in 6 (30%) patients and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in 5 (25%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that the PC needs of noncancer patients are largely unmet in our region. Further efforts are necessary to advance noncancer PC in Saudi Arabia. The PC needs of patients with SCD and PAD need to be addressed in future research.
authors.affiliation: Palliative Care Department, King Fahad Specialist Hospital-Dammam, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hafez M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Ghanem
authors.forename: Rawabi M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Shaikh
authors.forename: Ahmad M Abou
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Alia
authors.forename: Amani S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Al-Zayir
authors.forename: Samy A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Alsirafy