Death and Dying

Etiology

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 2016 in the United States of America, deaths for the leading causes are as follows:

• Heart disease: 635,260
• Cancer: 598,038
• Accidents (unintentional injuries): 161,374
• Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 154,596
• Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 142,142
• Alzheimers disease: 116,103
• Diabetes: 80,058
• Influenza and Pneumonia: 51,537
• Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 50,046
• Intentional self-harm (suicide): 44,965

Epidemiology

The CDC collects and reports data about deaths in the United States of America annually. By assessing this information, trends can be identified and addressed. This information and its trends can also be used to develop new research, process improvement, and community programs.

• Number of deaths: 2,744,248
• Death rate: 849.3 deaths per 100,000 population
• Life expectancy: 78.6 years
• Infant mortality rate: 5.87 deaths per 1,000 live births

All causes of death by age in 2016:

• Younger than 1 year: 23,161: Congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities are the leading causes
• 1 to 4 years: 4045: Unintentional injuries is the leading cause
• 5 to 14 years: 5503: Unintentional injuries is the leading cause
• 15 to 24 years: 32,575: Unintentional injuries is the leading cause
• 25 to 44 years: 135,408: Unintentional injuries is the leading cause
• 45 to 64 years: 539,961: Malignant neoplasms are the leading causes
• 65 years and over: 2,003,458: Diseases of the heart are the leading causes

The age-adjusted death rate for all ages, by gender per 100,000 population in 2016:

• Male: 861.0
• Female: 617.5

Pathophysiology

The vast majority of patients who experience a natural death, meaning no medical, life-saving interventions to counter the process, follow a stereotypical pattern of signs and symptoms in the time leading up to death. This time frame is often referred to as "actively dying" or "imminent death." It is important for healthcare providers to be familiar with this process, not only so they know what to expect when providing direct care to patients during this time but also so they can guide the family in understanding what to expect and providing support as needed.

• Early stage: Loss of mobility and becoming bed-bound; loss of interest or ability to drink and eat; cognitive changes to include increased time sleeping or experiencing delirium. Delirium can be a hyperactive or agitated state or a hypoactive state. The trademark point of delirium is there is an acute change in the level of arousal.[2]
• Middle stage: Further decline in mental status to becoming obtunded or slow arousal with stimulation and only brief periods of wakefulness. Patients often exhibit the "death rattle" which a noisy breathing pattern caused by a pooling of oral secretions due to the loss of the swallowing reflex.
• Late stage: Coma; fever, possibly due to aspiration pneumonia; an altered respiratory pattern, which can be periods of apnea alternated with hyperpnea or irregular breathing; and mottled extremities due to the constriction of the peripheral circulation 

The timeline for each patient is variable. A patient may experience these signs and symptoms over 24 hours or longer than 14 days.[3]

History and Physical

Death is the end state of every disease process; however, each disease has a different progression and course. It is important to assess the patient for findings related to their underlying disease process and their needs related to the death and dying process.

The self-determination of the patient with capacity must be respected. When patients can make their own choices, their autonomy must be upheld. It is not the role of the provider to impart their values and beliefs to patients. Patients' families may experience anticipatory grief and have a hard time fully handling the current situation. They may want to push their personal choices for the situation instead of respecting their loved one's wishes and choices. As healthcare providers leading family discussions related to these difficult topics, remember always to keep the patient's goals at the forefront.

This type of discussion may arise because of the following reasons (but is not limited to):

• Patients who, according to clinical assessment, have entered the dying process
• Patients no longer wish to receive life-sustaining treatment in the event of a cardiac arrest, also known as implementing a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order
• Patients diagnosed with a progressive disease process that ultimately causes their death; examples include cardiac disease, kidney disease, cancers
• Patients who have been previously diagnosed with progressive diseases have a new decline in their status
• Patients who wish to stop curative treatments
• Patients who request to discuss these matters

When gathering information about a patient and a situation, it is important to create a calm environment and allow the patient and their family to feel comfortable. Give them enough time to answer questions. Ensure that each party's goals have been discussed: the patient's, the family's, and the medical team's.[4][5]

Evaluation

The evaluation necessary depends on the individual patient and where they are in their process. It may be appropriate to gather a wide range of laboratory data, radiographic tests, and other diagnostic studies for the patient. It may also be appropriate not to order anything for a patient if that aligns with their goals for quality of life.[6]

Treatment / Management

The primary goal in treatment for patients is alleviating suffering. Hospice care and palliative care are often confused. Hospice care is the term given to the care provided when a patient is given a prognosis of death within 6 months, and they do not pursue curative treatments. They focus on improving the quality of life, which can mean many things. Palliative care can be incorporated into the plan of care at any time for any patient who is experiencing suffering and wants to ease that suffering without directly treating the cause of that suffering. Someone may use palliative care in addition to curative treatments. Suffering may have many forms, and the care provided should be multi-disciplinary. Some areas that may be addressed are spiritual with chaplain services; caregiver fatigue with community resources or a social worker; physical symptoms such as pain, nausea, and constipation with a multimodal approach; and even a palliative care team leader to coordinate all the moving pieces and keep the family and patient aware of what is happening. It is important to establish a treatment goal with the patient and family and understand that this goal may evolve.[5]

Differential Diagnosis

It is important to identify how to know death has occurred and to educate the family of a patient who may be actively dying. This is especially important if the patient is choosing to die at home. 

• No breathing
• No heartbeat
• No response to verbal or tactile stimuli
• Loss of bowels or bladder
• Eyelids slightly open; eyes fixed on a certain spot; no pupil activity
• Jaw relaxed and mouth slightly open[7]

Pertinent Studies and Ongoing Trials

A developing topic in palliative and hospice care is that of assisted death. A handful of countries have legalized the practice, which includes the patient filling a prescription from a provider for a lethal dose of medication after the appropriate screening. In the United States of America, California, Montana, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington have laws that allow terminally ill patients to choose assisted death if appropriately screened.[8]

Prognosis

Most people die in the hospital; however, most Americans report they would not wish to die in the hospital if they could choose. Days spent at home is an important patient-centered outcome. When reviewing data on community-living older people, days spent at home in the last 6 months did not differ by age, sex, or race/ethnicity. Still, they were significantly lower for patients suffering from organ failure and highest for sudden death and cancer.[9]

Complications

Talking about death and dying is an important element in the treatment and care of patients and families. The healthcare provider needs to be comfortable engaging with this type of discussion during the terminal phase and in the early stages of a grave prognosis or when broached by a patient. It is crucial, as a healthcare provider, to self-reflect on one's emotional thoughts and feelings regarding death and dying, in general, and how the topics relate to each patient. It is normal to have strong feelings. Identify those feelings. Talk with a colleague or keep a personal journal. It is helpful to role-play difficult discussions and reflect on the emotions before having them. Addressing those emotions before encountering the patients and their families allows the healthcare provider to be fully present for that patient and their needs. 

As mentioned before, the primary cause of death for ages 1 through 44 years in the United States of America is unintentional injuries. This causes a complicated grief situation for the family due to the swiftness and unexpectedness of the situation. Ensure to provide resources and be prepared to repeat information as the family may experience the first stage of grief and denial and not retain what was discussed in your meeting. If the second stage of grief, anger, is present, practitioners should not take anger directed toward them. The family has a unique grief experience. Provide support as they need it.

Conflicts may arise when a patient's wishes do not match a family member's wishes, or a patient wants to continue treatments that the medical team deems futile. In such situations, it is advisable to hold several discussions to ensure that all parties have the same information and understanding. An ethics committee may need to become involved if a resolution cannot be reached.[5][10][11]