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Mini-Suffering State Examination Scale: Possible Key Criterion for 6-Month Survival and Mortality of Critically Ill Dementia Patients

Human Suffering and Satisfaction Research Center, El-Ad, Israel, and Geriatric Division, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel, bechorz{at}yahoo.com

Six months of survival as a key criterion is extremely important for decision making in enrollment of critically ill patients to palliative settings. This was a prospective cohort study with 6 months of follow-up during a 24-month period performed in the Division of Geriatric Medicine in a tertiary general hospital. One-hundred three consecutively admitted, bedridden patients with end-stage dementia were evaluated. The Mini-Suffering State Examination scale was performed. Interrelations between the Mini-Suffering State Examination score at admission and 6-month survival and mortality were evaluated. A significant difference was proven among survival curves of subgroups of patients according to the mini scores (0-3, 4-6, 7-10). Survival was shorter and mortality higher in patients with a high Mini-Suffering State Examination score, as shown by the Kaplan-Meier method using the log rank (P = .001) and Breslow tests (P = .001). The Mini-Suffering State Examination scale is useful for predicting the last 6 months of survival and mortality of end-stage dementia patients.

Key Words: dementia • end-of-life • critical illness • hospice • suffering • survival • mortality

This version was published on January 1, 2008

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, Vol. 24, No. 6, 470-474 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1049909107302304


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