Impaired communication capacity and agitated delirium in the final week of terminally ill cancer patients: prevalence and identification of research focus

Abstract

The maintenance of intellectual activity is an important area in the “good death” concept. To clarify the communication capacity levels of terminally ill cancer patients in their final week, and to identify factors contributing to the development of communication capacity impairment and agitated delirium, a retrospective study was performed on 284 consecutive hospice inpatients. The data were collected by chart review, and two independent raters measured the degree of communication capacity and agitation in the last week, using multiple items from the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale, the Communication Capacity Scale, and the Agitation Distress Scale. The percentages of patients who could achieve complex communication were 43%, 28%, and 13% at 5 days, 3 days, and 1 day before death, respectively. Agitated delirium was identified in 20%. Patients receiving opioids at a dose of ≧120 mg oral morphine equivalents/day one week before death were significantly unable to communicate clearly 3 days before death (0.48 [0.28–0.84], P = 0.011). Male gender and the presence of icterus were identified as significant contributors to the development of agitated delirium (odds ratios [95% C.I.] = 2.6 [1.4–5.0], P<0.01; 2.4 [1.3–4.4], P< 0.01). These findings demonstrate that communication capacity impairment and agitated delirium are frequently observed in terminally ill cancer patients, and are significantly correlated with a higher dose requirement of opioids and the presence of icterus. To explore the best management to maintain the intellectual activity of dying patients, research should focus on a homogeneous sample of patients receiving high-dose opioids and those with hepatic encephalopathy. In the meanwhile, clinicians should educate patients and family members about the nature of the dying process and help facilitate the completion of life purposes requiring complex mental activities before the latest stages of cancer.