Table 2

Labelling and willingness to report 3 ‘standard’ cases that were presented to all physicians*

Presented casesPractice was labelled asn = 1004†
A
Patient A is a 74-year-old female with an inoperable ovarian carcinoma. She suffers from severe pain. Patient is expected to die within a couple of months. Patient has requested her physician several times to end her life. The attending physician decides to grant the patient’s request. At an arranged moment in time, the physician administers a sedative and subsequently, a muscle relaxant. Patient dies a few minutes after the administration of the muscle relaxant.Euthanasia87
Ending of life12
Palliative or terminal sedation1.0
Symptom alleviation0.1
Other0.1
B
Patient B is a 72-year-old female with terminal heart failure. She is short of breath and suffers from chest pain. She is fatigued and bedridden. Patient has a life expectancy of a few days. A morphine drip is insufficient to relieve her symptoms. Patient asks her physician to end her suffering. The decision is taken to relieve the patient’s suffering in the best way possible by administering midazolam until death. The patient quickly becomes unconscious and dies 3 days after the administration of midazolam.Euthanasia1.1
Ending of life0.9
Palliative or terminal sedation93
Symptom alleviation5.2
Other0.2
C
Patient C is a female of 73-year-old female with an oesophagus carcinoma and severe metastases. She is fatigued and suffers from severe pain in her whole body. Patient has a life expectancy of a few days. Patient’s symptoms are treated with morphine patches but relief is insufficient. The decision is taken to use a morphine drip. The dose is increased twice to relieve the patient’s suffering in the best way possible. The patient dies 3 days after the start of the morphine drip.Euthanasia0.4
Ending of life1.7
Palliative or terminal sedation13
Symptom alleviation85
Other0.2
  • *Data are given as percentages, weighted for different sampling fractions and response rates.

  • †‘n’ concerns the number of physicians.