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KMID : 0856920070100040190
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Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
2007 Volume.10 No. 4 p.190 ~ p.194
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Symptom Experience in Terminal Cancer Patients during the Last 48 Hours of Life
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Sim Yun-Su
Kim Do-Yeun
Nam Eun-Mi
Lee Soon-Nam
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Abstract
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Purpose: Individual cancer patients often experience many symptoms that impair their quality of life at the end of life. Identifying symptoms at the terminal stage of cancer patients and possible imminent death prediction by using that assessment can assist physicians and patients in preparing the ’peaceful death’. This study examines symptom experience during the last 48 hours of life of terminal cancer patients, and determines whether symptom experience change with proximal to death.
Methods: The medical records of 89 patients who died with terminal cancer at a hospital between July 1, 2003 and March 31, 2006 were reviewed. Symptom prevalence at the last 48 hours was analyzed along with the change of symptom experience at the admission, 48∼24 hours, and 24∼0 hours before death.
Results: Median age of all patients was 62 years old (range 16∼97). During the last 48 hours, symptom prevalence was described as follows; unclear consciousness (57%), pain (30%), fever (22%), and dyspnea (19%). According to the primary site, unclear consciousness was notified the most frequent symptom, but fever was relatively high prevalence in patients of biliary origin cancer rather than other site cancer (P=0.012). As death was impending, the prevalence of poor appetite and general weakness were decreased, while that of unclear consciousness was increased, which were all statistically significant (P＜0.05).
Conclusion: The presence of unclear consciousness could be regarded as the symptom indicator as imminent death of terminal cancer patients. (Korean J Hosp Palliat Care 2007;10:190-194)
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KEYWORD
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Terminal cancer, Symptom, Last 48 hours, Death
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