終末期

• 読み: しゅうまつき
• ローマ字: shuumatsu ki
• 漢字の分解: 終 (shū) — end, finish, conclude; 末 (matsu/sue) — end, tip, last; 期 (ki) — period, phase, stage
• 発音: /ɕɯː.ma.tsɯ.ki/

意味

Terminal phase; end-of-life period; the final stage of a life-limiting illness when recovery is no longer expected.

A clinical and ethical term referring to the stage of illness when curative treatment is no longer feasible and the focus shifts to comfort and quality of life. Central to discussions of 終末期医療 (end-of-life care), 緩和ケア, and 尊厳死 (death with dignity). Used with sensitivity in medical, hospice, and family contexts to acknowledge approaching death without euphemism.

例文

1. 終末期の患者が穏やかに最期を過ごせるよう、緩和ケアチームが支援した。
2. 家族は終末期医療について医師と十分に話し合い、方針を決めた。
3. 彼女は終末期にも前向きで、周囲の人々を励まし続けた。

使い方ガイド

場面: medicine, palliative care, ethics, end-of-life, hospice

トーン: serious

起源と歴史

Compound of 終末 (shūmatsu, end/conclusion/terminal) and 期 (ki, period/phase/stage). Together they designate the final period of life, specifically in the context of progressive or fatal illness.

文化的背景

時代: Contemporary

世代: Adults

社会的背景: General