[The need for palliative care treatment in pneumology in non-malignant diseases--a case report].

A 70-year-old pneumological patient with a COLD for many years, who was using long-term oxygen therapy, developed a complex clinical presentation. During his inpatient course over several weeks we treated severe physical symptoms such as shortness of breath, anxiety and pain. After the transfer to the palliative care ward only an inpatient final accompaniment was possible. In this case the palliative care expertise was integrated too late into the process of the therapy. The delay led to a poorer control of severe physical symptoms such as those named above. Also, the patients request for comprehensive ambulant care could not be realised because the severity of the disease was not detected soon enough. Instruments for the evaluation of the need for an additional palliative care treatment in patients with a non-malignant pneumological disease have not been established sufficiently.