Association between respiratory and heart rate fluctuations and death occurrence in dying cancer patients: continuous measurement with a non-wearable monitor

Background: The present study aimed to explore the association between impending death and continual changes in respiratory and heart rates measured using a non-wearable monitor every minute for the final 2 weeks of life in dying cancer patients. Methods: In this longitudinal study, we enrolled patients in a palliative care unit and continuously measured their respiratory and heart rates via a monitor and additionally captured their other vital signs and clinical status from medical records. Result: A dataset was created comprising every 24-h data collected from every-minute raw data, including information from 240 days prior to death from 24 patients (345,600 data); each patient’s data were measured for 3–14 days until death. After confirming the associations between the respiratory and heat rate values on the day of death (n = 24) or other days (2–14 days before death, n = 216) and the mean, maximum, minimum, and variance of respiratory and heart rates every 24 h by univariate analyses, we conducted a repeated-measures logistic regression analysis using a generalized estimating equation. Finally, the maximum respiratory rate and mean heart rate were significantly associated with death occurring within the following 3 days (0–24 h, 0–48 h, and 0–72 h), except for the maximum respiratory rate that occurs within 0–24 h. Conclusion: The maximum respiratory rate and mean heart rate measured every minute using a monitor can warn family caregivers and care staff, with the support of palliative care professionals, of imminent death among dying patients at home or other facilities.