[Cause of death for handicapped taken care of at home due to chronic neurological disorders].
Prognosis of patients with neurological diseases cared for at home and visited by physicians from our clinic since 1985 was studied. Since prognosis may differ by conditions of patient care at home, duration since disease onset etc., the problems related to patient care at home need to be made clear. The "at home" patient group (Group H) consisted of 21 patients who were visited by physicians for more than 3 months. The other group (Group A) consisted of 22 patients with neurological diseases and who visited periodically the outpatient clinic of our hospital. The two groups were compared as to prognosis. Mean duration of the underlying disease of Group H and A were 1765.5 and 1238.1 days, respectively. The most frequent direct cause of death in Group H was congestive heart failure and that in Group A was cerebrovascular lesion. Cases with congestive heart failure as direct cause of death had a longer mean duration of the direct cause of death than those with causes of death other than congestive heart failure in Group H. Length of bed-ridden condition had no significant correlation to the duration of the direct cause of death in Group H. The following conclusions were 1. For the handicapped taken care of at home, duration of the direct cause of death was significantly longer than for patients treated at the hospital. 2. Congestive heart failure was the most prevalent death cause in Group H.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Department of Public Health, Gunma University School of Medicine.
Y
Y
Goto
S
S
Suzuki
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006701:Home Nursing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000401:mortality* / Q000451:nursing