The ending of a life.
The time when a person is facing impending death, whose anticipated life expectancy is measured in days or weeks.
The final or ending phase of life, which depending on the person, may last for years, months, weeks, days or hours.
This is the time when the focus of care shifts from aggressively treating medical problems to providing comfort or palliative care.
Also known as: Agonia in Spanish medical texts, the time preceding death when active dying begins.
Sources:
At the Bedside of a Dying Person in Palliative and End-of-Life Care. Beers MH. Ed. The Merck Manual of Health & Aging. 2005. Whitehouse Station, N.J.: Merck & Co., Inc. <http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual_ha/sidebars/sb16_2.html>
Lum K. Radbruch L. Cultural Issues in End-of-Life Sedation. European Association for Palliative Care. 14 November 2006.
