Question about imending death

Nurses LPN/LVN

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Specializes in Student LPN.

Hi, LPN student here and I hav e a question that I hope someone can help me with.

A few weeks ago in the nursing home I was taking care of a stroke/hospice patient that was in a vegatative state. And she really was in the final stage prior to death...cheyne-strokes respirations and her think it could even be slang but I can't remember it.

Does anyone have any idea of different terms used to describe shut down of circulation? It was along the lines of "blocking" or something...but i know that wasn't it. Any feed back would be appreciated.

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

Is mottling the term you are looking for?

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Specializes in Student LPN.

yes, that is think that is the term she used. Is it mottling or "modeling" is what I thought she said, now that u triggered my memory.

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

ok...think about what you are asking...you are looking at a dying patient...their respiratory pattern is cheyne stokes, they have altered mentation...how do the extremities look and feel?...what would you look for to determine if there is adequate distal circulation?...which term might apply to a sign or symptom related to the "shut down of circulation", model or mottle?

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Mottling, and where? Capillary fill at extremities. Any cyanosis and where? BP, pulse and regularity. Skin color, turgor, warm or cool? Cheyne-Stokes and mentation. Is the patient hallucinating? As death approaches, patients often don't eat or drink. Lung sounds? Apneas, how long and how frequently?

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