lõppstaadium

Lõppstaadium is the Estonian term for the final or terminal stage of a disease or condition. It denotes a phase in which disease progression has led to severe functional impairment and limited life expectancy. It is not a precise medical diagnostic category but a general description used to indicate prognosis and care goals.

In medical contexts, end-stage is used for illnesses such as cancer, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, liver cirrhosis, and neurodegenerative diseases, where the disease has advanced to an incurable stage. The term emphasizes prognosis and care goals rather than a fixed numerical stage. In cancer, physicians may speak of terminal or end-stage disease when active curative treatment is no longer effective or desired, and the focus shifts to comfort and quality of life.

Management focuses on palliative care and symptom relief, maintaining quality of life, and supporting patients and families. Decisions about resuscitation, hospitalization, or aggressive interventions are common topics, often guided by advanced care planning and patient preferences.

The term carries ethical and social dimensions, including patient autonomy, informed consent, caregiver burden, and access to hospice or home-based palliative services. Language use varies; some prefer more specific terms like lõppfaasis or terminal depending on the context.

See also: palliative care, hospice, prognosis, advance directive.