Coughing induces cardioacceleratory responses under cholinergic control. The Cough Test (CT), a standardized test that uses a series of coughs with electrocardiographic monitoring, was used to assess the functional integrity of cardiovascular autonomic nerves. In 224 control subjects and 235 diabetic patients, heart-rate (HR) responses were compared with four established tests: lying to standing (LS), standing to lying (SL), deep breathing (DB), and Valsalva maneuver (VM). In control subjects, HR responses declined significantly with age in a curvilinear pattern. Log-transformed indices were used to estimate percentiles. The CT-HR responses were reproducible and significantly associated with other HR-response tests. Sixty-nine (29%) diabetic patients had an abnormal value less than or equal to 1st percentile, whereas only 2 control subjects had such an abnormality. Among diabetic patients, age and duration of diabetes exerted a significant negative influence. With the use of the criteria of two abnormal or one abnormal and two borderline tests (among CT, LS, SL, DB, or VM) as a minimal criteria for cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy, CT and LS had the least overlap between the control and diabetic populations and were significantly better than SL or VM (P less than 0.005 for CT, P less than 0.01 for LS). They were not different from DB. We found the CT to be simple to perform, reproducible, and useful for the assessment of cardiovascular autonomic reflexes.

e19595 Background: The number of cancer patients requiring active treatment and palliation for symptoms relief is progressively increasing, due to the possibility to significantly prolong survival even in persons affected by metastatic disease. Italian Board of Health, within the National Oncological Plan 2010-2012, gave “simultaneous care” the recognition as the most qualified model to ensure the best result regarding life expectation, quality of life, adherence to therapies. Methods: In Italy’s veneto region health district 8 a unit dedicated to palliative care works in cooperation with oncology clinic, medical wards, general practitioner, social services; periodical meetings are scheduled to review all the requests; each patient is given a multidimensional evaluation, to assess the care needs. The Unit is able to provide a daily home-care, with total parenteral nutrition if needed, management of infusional devices, invasive procedures such as paracentesis, in order to minimize the number of intervening hospital admissions. We considered the percentage of patients who received a simultaneous care approach between 2008 and 2010, the number of patients who died at home or in a hospice, the average time-period of care, the number of elapsing hospital admissions. Results: In 2008 268 new patients received assistance by the Palliative Care Unit, 273 new patients in 2009 and 434 new patients in 2010; 82 (31,3%), 70 (25,6%) and 111 (25,6%) were affected by advanced cancer, respectively; in 2008 208 patients out of 262 (79,4%) died at home or in a hospice, in 2009 224 patients out of 273 (82,1%), in 2010 376 patients out of 434 (86,7%); in 2008 the average time-period of care was 93 days (calculated as the ratio between the total number of days of assistance to patients as a whole and the number of patients), 88 days in 2009; in 2008 the average number of intervening hospital admissions was 0,26 (calculated as the ratio between the number of admissions and the number of patients), 0,28 in 2009. Conclusions: Our data show that the earlier the patient affected by advanced cancer is evaluated by Palliative care Unit, the higher is the likelihood to develop an adequate home- or hospice-base care plan.