[Distress symptoms in hospice patients]

A number of symptoms cause physical or mental distress and suffering in the terminal and dying patient. In this prospective study of 117 patients (96% with a cancer diagnosis) in a Danish hospice all symptoms causing distress were assessed daily in three degrees of severity. The ten most frequently recorded symptoms were: fatigue, pain, weakness, dyspnoea, immobility/paresis, anorexia, general malaise, nausea/vomiting, oedema and amnesia. Fatigue was registered on 60.9% of the admission days, pain on 27.3%, dyspnoea on 19.2% and nausea/vomiting on 8.5%. The prevalence of pain, dyspnoea, nausea/vomiting, thirst and anxiety did not increase during the last seven days of life. Unconsciousness occurred in 23% of the patients during the last 24 hours and in 5% on the day before.