Death rattle: an audit of hyoscine (scopolamine) use and review of management.

Bennett, Michael I. (1996) Death rattle: an audit of hyoscine (scopolamine) use and review of management. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 12 (4). pp. 229-233. ISSN 0885-3924

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Abstract

This study investigated the pattern and determinants of hyoscine (scopolamine) use for death rattle by a retrospective analysis of 100 consecutive deaths in a 22-bed hospice. Patient diagnoses, duration of stay, and doses and route of administration of hyoscine used in the final 48 hr before death were recorded. One-half of the patients received hyoscine in some form during the final 24 hr before death. Patients who were in the hospice for longer than 9 days and those with cerebral malignancy were given the highest doses of hyoscine in the final 24 hr (z = -2.558, P = 0.011, and z = -1.968, P = 0.048, respectively). Response to hyoscine appears to be variable, and a distinction is proposed between death while due to salivary secretions (type 1) and that due to bronchial secretions (type 2) to explain the observed patterns of use. It is likely that hyoscine is more efficacious in treating type 1 death rattle than it is in treating type 2 death rattle.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2700/2728
Subjects:
?? hyoscinescopolaminedeath rattlerespiratory secretionssymptom controllhalliative careclinical neurologyanesthesiology and pain medicinenursing(all)r medicine (general) ??
ID Code:
32210
Deposited By:
Users 810 not found.
Deposited On:
12 Mar 2010 10:33
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
28 Nov 2023 11:08