[A study of "sudden death" in end-stage cancer patients receiving home care]

We retrospectively examined the actual status and management of sudden changes in end-stage cancer patients receiving home care. We defined "sudden death" as an incident in which patients who had been ambulatory suddenly experienced a change in condition and died within a day. As per this definition, 32 of 130 end-stage cancer patients (24.6%) who died at home during a period of 2 years experienced "sudden death". The reasons for sudden changes included liver rupture, liver failure, hematemesis/melena, and renal failure. It was presumed that 87.5% of patients who experienced "sudden death" had a life expectancy of days or weeks. Those who experienced sudden change in the presence of their family and died immediately thereafter or were found in a state of respiratory arrest accounted for 43.8% of cases. At the time of sudden change, sedation was performed in 34.3% of cases. Patient families were generally able to take action in a calm manner. Healthcare professionals and patient families should always be aware of the possibility of sudden changes in end-stage cancer patients. In addition, it is important for healthcare professionals to confirm how patients and their families perceive the disease condition, provide pain relief, and support families who are upset and anxious at the time of sudden changes.