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Responses regarding whether to continue ventilator treatment |
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| Argument |
Doctors/public |
Percentage (CI) |
Priority (%) |
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| Ventilator treatment should be continued because discontinuing it might be perceived as a form of euthanasia |
Doctors General public |
6.3 (3.5–9.1) 28.3 (24.3–32.3) |
5.5% 14.9% |
| A son is strongly against discontinuing ventilator treatment, thus treatment should be continued |
Doctors General public |
10.1 (6.6–13.6) 35.2 (31.0–39.4) |
0.4% 7.4% |
| The treatment should be discontinued because it only prolongs the death process |
Doctors General public |
91.9 (88.9–94.9) 81.5 (78.1–84.9) |
73% 42.5% |
| The treatment should be discontinued because it is in accordance with the wishes of the patient |
Doctors General public |
83.9 (79.6–88.2) 76.2 (72.4–80.0) |
21.1% 35.2% |
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This table shows the response pattern of the doctors and members of the general public who answered the question regarding whether to continue ventilator treatment in a terminally ill patient after unsuccessful neurosurgical treatment. The results are presented as proportions of those who agreed 'mostly' or 'entirely', with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The percentages of those who considered the argument to be the most important are also presented. | |||
Rydvall and Lynöe Critical Care 2008 12:R13 doi:10.1186/cc6786 |
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