A decline in a patient’s nutritional status is another key indicator of poor prognosis. This is best expressed as an unintentional weight loss of 10 percent of normal body weight over a period of about 6 months, with the loss of weight usually due to the patient’s life-limiting condition.

• Reversible cause of weight loss, such as depression and metabolic disturbances (diabetes, thyroid disease), should be excluded prior to assuming that the weight loss is due to the terminal illness and a true indicator of the patient’s prognosis.
• However, terminally ill patients may still have reversible cause of weight loss. Thus, for terminally ill patients with reversible cause of weight loss, weight loss will be less helpful in determining prognosis.

Continue reading “Predicting Prognosis: Declining Nutritional Status (Reading & Sharing)” →