PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a life prognosis estimation method that enables an estimation of the life prognosis by a noninvasive and simple method.SOLUTION: A predetermined place in a patient's oral cavity, for example, the oral mucosa wet strength in a tongue dorsum central part and a buccal mucosa, etc., is measured every period of time. A base time is made when a change of a measurement value, for example, a difference of a numerical value measured this time to a numerical value of the oral mucosa wet strength in the tongue dorsum central part measured last time is enlarged to a predetermined threshold, when a numerical drop rate measured this time to the numerical value of the oral mucosa wet strength in the tongue dorsum central part measured last time becomes the predetermined threshold, or when a difference of the measurement value in the tongue dorsum central part to the measurement value at the buccal mucosa is enlarged to the predetermined threshold. A life prognosis estimation method estimates the existence of high possibility that a patient dies within 2-weeks since the base time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1COPYRIGHT: (C)2020,JPO&INPIT【課題】非侵襲的かつ簡単な方法によって生命予後の予測を可能にする生命予後予測方法を提供する。【解決手段】患者の口腔内の所定箇所、例えば舌背中央部や頬粘膜などにおける口腔粘膜湿潤度を一定の時間間隔で測定し、測定値の変化、例えば前回測定した舌背中央部における口腔粘膜湿潤度の数値に対する今回測定した数値の差が所定の閾値に拡大した時、前回測定した舌背中央部における口腔粘膜湿潤度の数値に対する今回測定した数値の低下率が所定の閾値となった時、あるいは、舌背中央部での測定値の頬粘膜での測定値に対する差が所定の閾値に拡大した時を基準時として、当該基準時から２週間以内に患者が死亡する可能性が高いと予測する。【選択図】図１
