The final phase in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML): a study of cause of death, place of death and type of care during the last week of life.

The aim of this study was to increase the knowledge of the final phase in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), a period which entails many complex medical and psychosocial decisions. Data on cause and place of death were gathered through a retrospective review of medical and nursing records of 106 patients with AML who had died during 1995-1997. We focused on the actual phase of the disease and to what extent the patients were prescribed palliative care. With increased knowledge of the dying process in AML there are options to discuss which approach would be the most preferred final phase for an AML patient.