Clinical+Signs+of+Impending+Death+in+Cancer+Patients

Hui, David, et al. "Clinical Signs Of Impending Death In Cancer Patients." The Oncologist 19.6 (2014): 681-687. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 11 June 2016.

This is a systematic study and characterization of the frequency, onset, and likeliness ratio (LR) for 10 specific symptoms. The presence of each symptom was recorded every 12 hours from admittance till death or discharge. Findings indicate that clinical signs of impending death can be broken into two categories: early signs and late signs. Specific measurements for each sign were analyzed and 5 signs were found to be associated with a high likelihood of death within 3 days. It was noted that the presence or absence of these signs is not a completely reliable indicator of imminent death.

The highly technical nature of this article helps to substantiate findings from other studies and articles. The clinical perspective of this study as well as the specificity of the signs that were measured provide interesting insights regarding potential use of a matrix to assist clinicians in the diagnosis of the dying phase. This article also provides support for splitting symptoms (either patient reported or clinician recorded) into two groups: “early signs” and “late signs.”