Synonyms
Definition
Terminal illness refers to an illness or disease process that is not responsive to curative medical treatment and which will worsen and eventually cause death.
Description
A person who suffers from a terminal illness is said to be terminally ill, and although it is difficult to predict exactly how long a terminally ill person will live it is often assumed that a terminal illness will result in death in 6 months or less. This timeframe is most applicable to illnesses with somewhat predicable trajectories, such as cancer. In contrast, some other common conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, organ system failure, lung disease, and AIDS, for example, may exhibit much less predictable disease trajectories and may not result in death for many months or even years. Consequently, the predictability of when an illness has reached the terminal stage can vary significantly [9].
Medical Treatments Utilized During the Course of Terminal Illness
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Guerrero, B.M. (2011). Terminal Illness. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2889
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