End-stage dementia: Aminoff suffering syndrome and decubitus ulcers

Objective : to study possible interrelations between decubitus ulcers and Aminoff suffering syndrome in end-stage dementia (ESD). Subjects: a cohort study of 200 ESD patients with a six-month follow-up period. Methods: interrelations between decubitus ulcers and Mini-Suffering State Examination scores on admission were studied. Results: on the day of admission to the Geriatric Department, 40% of ESD patients, of whom 63.8% (51/80) were male, suffered from decubitus ulcers (80/200). Patients with decubitus ulcers had a higher Mini-Suffering State Examination score (5.49 + 2.17) than those without bedsores (3.48 ± 2.22), with a significant difference ( P < 0.0001). During a six-month follow-up period, 71.2% (57/80) of end-stage patients with decubitus ulcers were diagnosed as having Aminoff suffering syndrome and subsequently died, versus 45.8% (55/120) ESD patients who had not bedsores ( P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Decubitus ulcers contribute to the development of Aminoff suffering syndrome in ESD.