Abstract
As recently pointed out by the American Academy of Neurology, providing adequate palliative care to dying patients is the duty of every neurologist. Because of a lack of relevant articles in the neurological literature, we have compiled current treatment recommendations for the most important symptoms arising in the endstage of neurological diseases. These recommendations include treatment of dyspnea, death rattle, restlessness, pain, thirst, depression, and others. A discussion of difficult decisions is included, e.g., the appropriate extent of fluid substitution or the ethical implications of sedation in the terminal phase. It is hoped that this compilation may provide a basis for future research in palliative therapy in neurology.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Voltz, R., Borasio, G. Palliative therapy in the terminal stage of neurological disease. J Neurol 244 (Suppl 4), S2–S10 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00007721
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00007721