Assuntos
Avaliação Geriátrica/métodos , Hospitalização/estatística & dados numéricos , Casas de Saúde , Transferência de Pacientes/estatística & dados numéricos , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Feminino , Necessidades e Demandas de Serviços de Saúde , Humanos , Masculino , Preferência do Paciente , Singapura , Avaliação de Sintomas/métodosRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: This was an exploratory study that was intended to provide a descriptive analysis of the choices and preferences of a group of elderly Chinese subjects attending a day care centre in Singapore with regard to end-of-life issues. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A semi-structured one-to-one interview was conducted to collect data from the subjects. Qualitative techniques were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Forty-three subjects were interviewed. The median age was 71 years. There were more women than men (58.1% vs. 41.9%). The predominant religion was Buddhism/Taoism. 83.7% and 76.7% of the subjects preferred to be told of the diagnosis and prognosis of a terminal illness, respectively. The person most preferred to reveal the diagnosis was the attending doctor (60.5%). About 83.7% of the subjects have never heard of the Advanced Medical Directive Act, while 37.2% agreed that making an advanced directive would be necessary. Twenty-three (53.5%) would choose the doctor, while 15 (34.9%) would choose a family member as a surrogate decision-maker. Twenty-two (51.2%) thought that euthanasia should be allowed, while 15 (34.9%) disagreed. With regard to supportive measures at the end of life, 67.4% wanted cardiopulmonary resuscitation, 62.8% wanted artificial ventilation, 55.8% wanted nasogastric feeding, 65.1% wanted intravenous hydration and 41.9% wanted renal dialysis. CONCLUSION: There is a need for closer communication between older persons and their carers with regard to end-of-life care. The attending doctor appears to have an important role in this respect.
Assuntos
Diretivas Antecipadas , Povo Asiático , Atitude , Assistência Terminal , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , China/etnologia , Estudos Transversais , Tomada de Decisões , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Relações Médico-Paciente , Qualidade de Vida , SingapuraRESUMO
The diagnosis of fetal asphyxia requires a blood gas and acid-base assessment demonstrating a significant metabolic acidosis. However, the fetus may tolerate an asphyxial insult without central nervous system injury because of the fetal cardiovascular adaptation to hypoxemia. Prediction of the significance of an asphyxial insult to the fetus requires a measure of both the duration and degree of the asphyxia as well as an expression of the fetal compensatory response to the asphyxia.