What it means
A sound made when saliva and mucus collect in the throat and upper airways of a dying person who can no longer swallow or cough them up. It often comes in the final hours to days of life and can upset family members, though the dying person is usually unaware of it.
For the nurse
Turn the client onto the side, raise the head of the bed and give mouth care. Drugs that dry secretions, such as glycopyrrolategly-koh-PEER-oh-lateAn anticholinergic drug that dries up saliva and airway secretions and keeps the heart rate from falling too low.Full entry , may be ordered. Deep suctioning usually does not help and can be distressing. Explain to the family what the sound is.
At a glance
| Also written | death-rattle, terminal respiratory secretions |
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Related terms
secretion
A substance a gland or cell makes and releases, such as mucus, saliva, sweat or a hormone.
airway
The passages that carry air into and out of the lungs, from the nose and mouth to the smallest air tubes.
glycopyrrolate
An anticholinergic drug that dries up saliva and airway secretions and keeps the heart rate from falling too low.