Optimal symptom control in last days of terminally ill patients

Abstract

Death is a biological imperative and inevitable. Adequate control of symptoms of a terminally ill patient is a challenging task for most end-of-life care professionals. The sole aim to provide comfort till the end of life with a holistic approach is necessary. In keeping with Liverpool Care Pathway as a guide, care of the terminally ill in their last days should be individualized from a more humanistic perspective. It should not be a ‘Tick Box Exercise’ and never a ‘One Size Fits All’ type. Once a ‘diagnosis of dying’ is made, spending on unnecessary medical interventions should be curtailed and natural death process should be allowed to continue. If available, it is always desirable to seek the opinion of specialist palliative care service team in the management of terminally ill patients. Shared decision making and open communications with all concerned are of paramount importance in end-of-life care. This mini review attempts to identify common physical symptoms and an appropriate intervention.