Death trajectory

Death trajectory refers to the pattern[1] of dying when a patient is given a projected death date with limited or no medical recourse for the remaining existence of the individual's life.[2] The death trajectory is dependent on the cause of death, whether it is sudden death, chronic illness, or the steady decline in health due to senescence (aging).[3] Death trajectory is analyzed in two separate aspects: duration and shape. Duration refers to the period of time a patient has to live, which can be anywhere from imminent death to several months.[2] Shape refers to how that duration is then graphed. In other words, the shape is "the course of dying, its predictability, and whether death is expected or unexpected".[2]

Illustration of the premature death trajectory. There is a sharp decline in human function in a short period of time.

Dying trajectories were first studied in the 1960s by two researchers, Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss, in an attempt to understand the end of human life from different ailments, including cancer.[4]

  1. ^ "Patterns of Functional Decline at the End of Life". Stanford School of Medicine. Stanford Medicine. 19 April 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Corr & Corr (2012). Death & Dying, Life & Living, Seventh Edition. Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-1111840617.
  3. ^ "Preparing to say Good-Bye" (PDF). University of Hawaii. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  4. ^ "Trajectory of Dying". University of Washington. Archived from the original on 6 March 2015. Retrieved 20 November 2014.