title: Palliative therapy in the terminal stage of neurological disease.
abstract: As recently pointed out by the American Academy of Neurology, providing adequate palliative care to dying patients is the duty of every neurologist. Because of a lack of relevant articles in the neurological literature, we have compiled current treatment recommendations for the most important symptoms arising in the endstage of neurological diseases. These recommendations include treatment of dyspnea, death rattle, restlessness, pain, thirst, depression, and others. A discussion of difficult decisions is included, e.g., the appropriate extent of fluid substitution or the ethical implications of sedation in the terminal phase. It is hoped that this compilation may provide a basis for future research in palliative therapy in neurology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Voltz
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Borasio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016223:Advance Directives; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003693:Delirium / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009134:Muscular Atrophy, Spinal / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D009294:Narcotics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D010166:Palliative Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D012135:Respiratory Sounds; D013727:Terminal Care; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D009294:Narcotics