Abstract: Aminoff Suffering Syndrome and pain in end-stage dementia

Oral presentation:

Aminoff Suffering Syndrome and pain in end-stage dementia.

Objective: to study possible interrelations between Aminoff suffering syndrome and pain in end-stage dementia (ESD).

Subjects: a cohort study of 200 ESD patients with a six-month follow-up period.

Methods: The scale (1999) is available in English, Hebrew, Dutch and Spanish, and covers 10 items (range 0-10). Based on clinical experience, the following items were included in the MSSE: Not calm, screams, pain, decubitus ulcers, malnutrition, eating disorders, invasive action, unstable medical condition, suffering according to medical opinion, and suffering according to family opinion.
The correlation of high MSSE scores with shorter survival periods and, irreversible and intractable aggravation of suffering and medical condition until demise has been defined as Aminoff suffering syndrome.
The results of clinical experience with this scale were presented at world and regional congresses in Berlin (1999), Jerusalem (2000), Vancouver (2001), Stockholm (2002), Tokyo (2003), Las Vegas (2004), Rio-de-Janeiro (2005), Madrid (2006), Saint-Petersburg (2007), Trondheim (2008), Paris (2009), Honolulu (2010), Athens (2011) and in Copenhagen (2012).

Results: On the day of admission to the Geriatric Department, 10.5 % of ESD patients, diagnosed with pain (21/200) and 89.5 of ESD patients were free from pains.
Patients diagnosed with Aminoff suffering syndrome and pains had a higher MSSE scale score (7.0 ± 2.4) than those without pain (4.0 ± 2.2), with a significant difference (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Pains contribute to higher suffering and the development of Aminoff suffering syndrome in ESD.