Baseline characteristics of participants in a multisite, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm study of 20 mg morphine daily for chronic breathlessness
| Intention-to-treat—whole population | |||
| Morphine (n=145) | Placebo (n=139) | ||
| Age (years) | Mean (SD) | 74.0 (9.6) | 74.5 (9.1) |
| Min, max | 44.8, 94.1 | 44.3, 89.4 | |
| Gender, n (%) | Female | 52 (35.9%) | 52 (37.4%) |
| Performance status (AKPS) | Mean (SD) | 60.8 (11.5) | 61.5 (9.5) |
| Min, max | 3, 90 | 40, 80 | |
| BMI (kg/m2) | Mean (SD) | 25.2 (7.6) | 25.9 (7.0) |
| Min, max | 13.0, 66.1 | 12.3, 47.8 | |
| mMRC breathlessness now score at baseline, n (%) | 1 | 18 (14.1%) | 12 (10.3%) |
| 2 | 22 (17.2%) | 25 (21.6%) | |
| 3 | 33 (25.8%) | 33 (28.4%) | |
| 4 | 55 (43.0%) | 46 (39.7%) | |
| Baseline mean (SD) breathlessness scores (0–100 mm visual analogue scale) | Now | 40.9 (22.0) | 42.9 (23.1) |
| Worst | 58.5 (23.8) | 60.7 (24.9) | |
| Best | 28.3 (21.3) | 30.1 (20.5) | |
| Average | 41.2 (18.5) | 43.8 (20.6) | |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index | Mean (SD) | 3.3 (2.46) | 3.2 (2.5) |
| Min, max | 0, 12 | 1, 13 | |
| Pulse oximetry SpO2 (%) | Mean (SD) | 92.60 (4.17) | 92.96 (4.46) |
| Min, max | 77.0, 99.0 | 72.0, 99.0 | |
| End-tidal CO2 (mm Hg) | Mean (SD) | 27.41 (8.29) | 25.53 (6.98) |
| Min, max | 8.5, 53.1 | 9.9, 45.0 | |
| Primary cause for breathlessness, n (%) | COPD | 82 (56.6%) | 82 (59.0%) |
| Cancer | 26 (17.9%) | 22 (15.8%) | |
| Cardiac failure | 2 (1.4%) | 2 (1.4%) | |
| Mixed | 18 (12.4%) | 19 (13.7%) | |
| Other | 17 (11.7%) | 14 (10.1%) | |
| Oxygen use | Yes, n (%) | 87 (60.0%) | 75 (54.0%) |
| Smoking status, n (%) | Never smoked | 24 (16.6%) | 26 (18.7%) |
| Ex-smoker | 104 (71.7%) | 95 (68.3%) | |
| Current smoker | 17 (11.7%) | 16 (11.5%) | |
| Missing | 0 (0.00%) | 2 (1.4%) | |
AKPS, Australia-modified Karnofsky Performance Status; BMI, body mass index; CO2, carbon dioxide; mMRC, modified Medical Research Council.