Table 4

Responses regarding whether to administer tranquillizers and morphine

Argument
Doctors/public
Percentage (CI)
Priority (%)

Tranquillizers and morphine should be provided in order to keep the patient free of symptom even though it might hasten death
Doctors
General public
97.6 (95.8–99.4)
95.9 (94.2–97.6)
94.4%
76.2%
Tranquillizers and morphine should be provided in order to shorten the dying process
Doctors
General public
9.9 (6.4–13.4)
45.7 (41.3–50.1)
0.7%
5.8%
Tranquillizers and morphine should be provided but without risking the acceleration of death
Doctors
General public
29.6 (24.3–34.9)
49.2 (44.8–53.6)
1.9%
12.2%
Tranquillizers and morphine should not be provided if the purpose is to hasten the dying process
Doctors
General public
72.7 (66.5–77.9)
52.0 (47.6–56.4)
3.0%
5.8%

This table shows the response pattern of the doctors and members of the general public who answered the question regarding whether to provide tranquillizers and morphine to a terminally ill patient disconnected from life-sustaining ventilator 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