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Patterns of mortality in patients with motor neurone disease
Author(s) -
Chaudri M. B.,
Kinnear W. J. M.,
Jefferson D.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0404.2003.02048.x
Subject(s) - medicine , motor neurone disease , disease , resuscitation , retrospective cohort study , intensive care , emergency medicine , nursing homes , pediatrics , intensive care medicine , amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , surgery , nursing
Objective– Motor neurone disease (MND) is a rapidly fatal condition with survival of less than 4 years. Patients can deteriorate quickly in the preterminal stages resulting in inappropriate resuscitation or admission to intensive care units (ICU) or accident and emergency (A & E). Material and methods – We looked at patterns of mortality with emphasis on the place of death. A retrospective study was performed of all patients attending an MND clinic, who had died within a 10‐year period. Results – Of 179 patients (63 female), 81 patients (45%) died at home, in a hospice or in a nursing home. Sixty‐five patients (36%) died in hospital (11 in ICU or A & E). Nine of the latter were previously known to have MND and six admissions were probably avoidable. Most ward patients died of respiratory causes and were treated conservatively. Conclusion – The proportion of patients dying in A & E or ICU was small but could have been reduced further. A number of those who died on the wards could probably have been managed conservatively at home. Older patients and those with bulbar disease had a poorer prognosis.