ASS n. 4 Medio Friuli, Ambulatorio di Neurologia, Distretto di Udine, Italy.
Eur J Neurol. 2010 Jun 1;17(6):774-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2010.02991.x. Epub 2010 Mar 17.
Dementia is a terminal disease, associated with great suffering and difficult decisions in the severe stage. The decision-making process is characterized by uncertainty because of lack of scientific evidence in treatments and by the need to reconcile conflicting points of view. In intercurrent diseases, aggressive interventions are used without consideration of its futility; in comparison with cancer, several consequences of physicians' attitude not to consider dementia as a terminal disease have been reported, especially concerning pain relief. Lack of evidence of artificial nutrition and hydration effectiveness makes advance care planning relevant.
痴呆是一种终末期疾病，在疾病的严重阶段会伴随极大的痛苦和艰难的决策。由于治疗缺乏科学证据，且需要调和相互冲突的观点，决策过程的特点是不确定的。在并发疾病中，会不顾治疗的无效性而采取激进的干预措施；与癌症相比，医生不将痴呆视为终末期疾病的态度所带来的若干后果已有报道，特别是在缓解疼痛方面。由于缺乏人工营养和水合作用有效性的证据，使得预先护理计划变得相关。
