Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
09:21
Optimized Management of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke
Published on: January 18, 2018
Stroke patients' views on stroke outcomes: death versus disability
H C Hanger1, B Fogarty, T J Wilkinson
1Department of Health Care of the Elderly, The Princess Margaret Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand. Carl.Hanger@Healthlinksouth.co.nz
Clinical Rehabilitation
|August 17, 2000
Summary
Many elderly individuals, including stroke survivors, prefer death over severe disability. This perception challenges traditional views on stroke outcomes and treatment goals.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neurology
- Public Health
Background:
- Stroke significantly impacts quality of life for elderly individuals.
- Understanding patient preferences for different outcomes is crucial for personalized care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare how elderly stroke patients and age/sex-matched controls perceive various stroke outcomes, including death.
- To assess the relative desirability of death versus different levels of disability post-stroke.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 28 elderly stroke patients and 28 controls ranked 11 clinical scenarios of potential stroke outcomes.
- Outcomes ranged from death to varying degrees of disability.
Main Results:
- A significant portion of both groups (over one-third) preferred painless death to even minor stroke-related disability.
- 69% of stroke patients and 82% of controls considered death preferable to severe disability.
- Stroke patients showed a trend towards greater tolerance of disability compared to death.
Conclusions:
- Elderly individuals, particularly stroke survivors, may prioritize avoiding severe disability over prolonging life.
- These findings have implications for acute stroke management, including the goals of interventions like thrombolysis.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Atherosclerosis IV: Nursing Management
Nursing management for a patient with arteriosclerosis involves a comprehensive approach focusing on lifestyle modification, disease monitoring, education, and symptomatic care. Here is an overview of effective nursing strategies:Assessment and Monitoring: Initial and ongoing assessments are crucial. Nurses must document the patient's medical history, including any hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and other cardiovascular diseases. Assessments also cover family history and lifestyle...
01:15Ischemic Stroke ll: Pathophysiology
An ischemic stroke occurs when a cerebral blood vessel becomes obstructed, most often by a thrombus or embolus, interrupting the delivery of oxygen and glucose to brain tissue. Because neurons rely on continuous aerobic metabolism, energy failure begins within minutes of reduced perfusion. The region receiving the least blood flow becomes the infarct core, an area of irreversible cellular death. Surrounding this core lies the penumbra, a zone of hypoperfused but still viable tissue that is...