Categories of Life-Limiting Conditions.
| Category | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Life-threatening conditions for which curative treatment may be feasible but can fail | Cancer, organ failures of heart, liver, kidney, transplant and children on long-term ventilation |
| 2 | Conditions where premature death is inevitable | Cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and SMA type 1 |
| 3 | Progressive conditions without curative treatment options | Batten Disease, Mucopolysaccharidoses and other severe metabolic conditions. |
| 4 | Irreversible but non-progressive conditions causing severe disability, leading to susceptibility to health complications and likelihood of premature death | Severe cerebral palsy, complex disabilities such as following brain or spinal cord injury. |
Source: Together for Short Lives, A Guide to Children’s Palliative Care; Supporting babies, children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions and their families [Internet]. Bristol: Together for short lives; 2018 [cited 2019 Jan 11]. Available from: