Präfinal = preceding death, pre-agonal, pre-agonic

http://books.google.com/books?id=Xuwh01IxikoC&pg=PA1213&lpg=...

For example:
There is no pain because the gradual pre-agonic and agonic changes in the biochemistry of the central nervous system dull the perception of pain and ...
http://books.google.com/books?id=ImntheG-aqcC&pg=PA46&lpg=PA...

Investigation into use of drugs preceding death from asthma.
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/1/5588/339

Additionally, there were reductions in the total synapsin/synaptophysin ratios in all three subject groups. Pre-agonal medication cannot entirely be ruled out in this study as an explanation for the findings; however, we did not observe changes in either synaptophysin or synapsin in the hippocampus following lithium or haloperidol treatment of rats.
http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/v7/n6/full/4001158a.html

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Note added at 34 mins (2010-03-10 12:24:49 GMT)
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In addition, both agents abolished the early seizure activity, suggesting that this first phase of seizures is due to cyanide and not the parent molecule. 1-Benzylimidazole did not prevent the severe clonic convulsive phase preceding death, suggesting that these terminal convulsions are due to the toxic effects of the parent AN molecule.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/v3vg834010661333/

In all dosage groups, females had decreased activity, bradypnea and ptosis with clonic convulsions preceding death; in males, ptosis was seen at all dose levels while tremors and clonic convulsions were seen at all but the lowest dose (771 mg/kg).
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:Bc-BHN9Not8J:www.medici...