Terminal illness

Terminal illness is a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and is reasonably expected to result in the death of the patient within a short period of time. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as cancer or advanced heart disease than for trauma.

Definition

In most cases, a patient is considered to be terminally ill when their life expectancy is estimated to be six months or less, under the assumption that the disease will run its usual course based on the doctor's experience and prognosis. The six-month standard is arbitrary, and best available estimates of longevity may be incorrect. Consequently, though a given patient may properly be considered terminally ill, this is not necessarily so.

Prognosis

Prognosis, in the context of terminal illness, can be defined as the doctor's prediction of how the patient's disease will progress, and what the patient's life expectancy might be. It is an educated guess, based on the doctor's knowledge of the average course of the disease, the patient's physical condition, the characteristics of the disease, and the patient's response to treatment.

Palliative care

Palliative care is specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses, including terminal illnesses. It focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious illness—whatever the diagnosis. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.

Hospice care

Hospice care is a type of care and philosophy of care that focuses on the palliation of a chronically ill, terminally ill or seriously ill patient's pain and symptoms, and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs. In Western society, the concept of hospice has been evolving in Europe since the 11th century.

Psychological impact

The diagnosis of a terminal illness leaves patients with an enormous emotional burden, with patients experiencing a range of emotions including shock, fear, disbelief, anger, and sadness. Depression is very common among patients diagnosed with a terminal illness.

See also

• Advance healthcare directive
• Do not resuscitate
• Euthanasia
• Medical ethics
• Palliative sedation