Physician reports of medication use with explicit intention of hastening the end of life in the absence of explicit patient request in general practice in Belgium

Table 3 Life-ending drug use without patient's explicit request: performance of the practice (n = 13)

			n
Patient was competent at time of drug administration			0
Drugs used to end life		Opioids only	7
		Opioids in combination with a benzodiazepine	5
		Barbiturate	1
	In case opioids were used to end life (n = 12)	Use of opioids already administered previous to	9
		life-ending practice to alleviate pain or other symptoms
	Time between administration of (first) life-ending drug and coma	Patient was already in a coma at time of administration	6
		Patient never lapsed into a complete coma	1
		(awoke now and then)
		15 minutes	1
		2 hours	1
		8 hours	1
		1 day	1
		2 days	2
	Time between administration of (first) life-ending drug and death	instantly	1
		20 minutes	1
		90 minutes	2
		3 hours	1
		4 hours	1
		12 hours	1
		13 hours	1
		1-2 days	3
		2-3 days	2
Persons involved in administration	Person who administered the (last) life-ending drug	GP	7
		Nurse	6
	GP's presence during the administration of life-ending drugs until the time of death	Continuously	2
		With short interruptions	3
		Not present, but on call	6
		Not present	2
	Other persons present during the administration of life-ending drug	Professional caregivers & patient's relatives	2
		Professional caregivers only	3
		Patient's relatives only	7
		No other persons present	1
GP's estimation of life-shortening effect of administration of life-ending drugs		< 1 day	2
		1-7 days	8
		1-4 weeks	2
		> 6 months	1

ISSN: 1471-2458