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Table 3 Frequency of end-of-life decisions in non-sudden deaths according to community and setting in Belgium

From: Euthanasia and other end-of-life decisions: a mortality follow-back study in Belgium

Place of death

Home or care home

Hospital or palliative care unit

 

Dutch-speaking

French-speaking

 

Dutch-speaking

French-speaking

 
 

N

%

N

%

OR [95%CI]a

N

%

N

%

OR [95%CI]a

Euthanasia/assisted suicidec

8

1.6

4

1.1

1.41 [0.42–4.71]

8

1.6

2

0.7

2.28 [0.48–10.82]

Administering life-ending drugs without explicit patient request

10

2.0

7

2.0

1.00 [0.38–2.66]

7

1.4

2

0.7

1.99 [0.41–9.65]

Intensified alleviation of symptoms taking life-shortening into account

155

30.9

95

27.1

1.23 [0.95–1.60]

112

22.1

57

19.9

1.14 [0.80–1.63]

Intensified alleviation of symptoms with partly life-shortening intent

18

3.6

5

1.4

2.47 [1.06–5.75] b

10

2.0

3

1.1

1.90 [0.52–6.97]

Non-treatment taking life-shortening into account

54

10.8

30

8.6

1.30 [0.81–2.11]

31

6.1

12

4.2

1.49 [0.75–2.95]

Non-treatment with explicit life-shortening intent

51

10.2

18

5.1

2.20 [1.24–3.91]

41

8.1

29

10.1

0.78 [0.47–1.29]

Total ELD

296

59.1

159

45.3

1.80 [1.36–2.40]

209

41.3

105

36.7

1.16 [0.85–1.57]

All sedation

22

4.4

29

8.2

0.51 [0.29–0.91]

60

12.0

66

23.7

0.45 [0.30–0.66]

Continuous deep sedation forgoing food/fluid

16

3.2

20

5.7

0.58 [0.33–1.02] b

20

4.0

17

6.1

0.64 [0.33–1.24]

Continuous deep sedation administrating food/fluid

6

1.2

9

2.6

0.45 [0.16–1.29]

40

8.0

49

17.6

0.42 [0.26–0.66]

  1. a Odds ratios based on logistic regression with community as predictor (French = ref cat) and controlling for patients' age, sex, educational level, and cause of death.
  2. b The probability was significant if alpha = .10 (i.e. level of the CI is 90%)
  3. c Cases of euthanasia or assisted suicide were not reported for patients dying in a care home