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Discomfort in dementia patients dying from pneumonia and its relief by antibiotics.
- Source :
-
Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases . 2009, Vol. 41 Issue 2, p143-151. 9p. 3 Charts. - Publication Year :
- 2009
-
Abstract
- Dementia patients frequently die after a pneumonia or prolonged intake problems. Maintaining comfort is a goal of palliative care in end-stage dementia. To compare discomfort in dementia patients dying after a pneumonia with patients dying after intake problems, and to assess associations with treatment, we combined 2 Dutch prospective studies. We selected 559 pneumonia patients and 166 patients with intake problems who had no pneumonia. Discomfort was observed with the Discomfort Scale - Dementia of Alzheimer Type (DS-DAT). Linear regression was performed with the dependent DS-DAT levels shortly before death in 314 patients who died within 2 weeks. Compared with discomfort in patients with intake problems, unadjusted and adjusted discomfort in patients with pneumonia was higher both at t 0 and before death. In adjusted analyses, antibiotic treatment (mostly oral) was associated with less discomfort before death (beta -1.1, CI -2.2 - -0.03), while invasive rehydration (received by only 8 patients) was associated with more discomfort (beta 3.5, CI 0.6 - 6.3). Death from pneumonia may cause great suffering in dementia patients. If confirmed in a study with different case mix and treatments, antibiotics may be used to decrease discomfort even when death is imminent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00365548
- Volume :
- 41
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 36069955
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/00365540802616726