title: [Fluid administration in terminally ill geriatric patients].
abstract: Dehydration is common in the elderly. It is caused by a diminished perception of thirst, drugs, and many acute illnesses. Dehydration leads to unspecific signs and symptoms. Proper diagnosis reverses the situation. A restriction of hydration in the sense of palliative terminal care must therefore exclude carefully reversible dehydration and establish clearly that a terminal situation is present. If the careful evaluation of the patient leads to the conclusion that a rapidly progredient worsening of his condition is to be expected, that neither a cure nor a symptomatic improvement are possible and death will occur within days or a few weeks and that the patient would probably consent: a terminal dehydration can be appropriate.
authors.affiliation: Geriatrische Universitätsklinik, Kantonsspital Basel.
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Stähelin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003681:Dehydration / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D013727:Terminal Care
vernacular_title: Flüssigkeitszufuhr bei terminalkranken geriatrischen Patienten.