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Table 3 Symptom unbearability in the domain of medical symptoms in patients with and without an explicit request for euthanasia (n = 60)

From: Unbearable suffering and requests for euthanasia prospectively studied in end-of-life cancer patients in primary care

 

Symptom present

%(n)*

Symptom unbearable

  

EAS request (n = 17)

%(n)

No EAS request (n = 43)

%(n)

P-value

All patients (n = 60) % (n)*

Domain I: Medical symptoms

     

Weakness

93 (56)

71 (12)

51 (22)

0.249

57 (34)

General discomfort

80 (48)

35 (6)

37 (16)

0.995

37 (22)

Tiredness

87 (52)

47 (8)

30 (13)

0.243

35 (21)

Pain

72 (43)

29 (5)

23 (10)

0.743

25 (15)

Loss of appetite

62 (37)

18 (3)

28 (12)

0.520

25 (15)

Not sleeping well

47 (28)

29 (5)

23 (10)

0.743

25 (15)

Changed appearance

78 (47)

18 (3)

23 (10)

0.740

22 (13)

Vomiting

27 (16)

24 (4)

19 (8)

0.726

20 (12)

Shortness of breath

59 (35)

24 (4)

16 (7)

0.712

19 (11)

Impaired co-ordination

57 (34)

12 (2)

21 (9)

0.713

18 (11)

Loss of concentration

40 (24)

12 (2)

19 (8)

0.711

17 (10)

Memory loss

43 (26)

12 (2)

16 (7)

0.995

15 (9)

Incomprehensible speech

32 (19)

18 (3)

14 (6)

0.704

15 (9)

Nausea

28 (17)

12 (2)

14 (6)

0.725

13 (8)

Smelling unpleasant

35 (21)

18 (3)

12(5)

0.676

13 (8)

Impaired hearing

33 (20)

12 (2)

14 (6)

0.996

13 (8)

Thirst

45 (27)

18 (3)

9 (4)

0.399

12 (7)

Feeling tensed

44 (26)

24 (4)

7 (3)

0.090

12 (7)

Impaired mental clarity

42 (25)

12 (2)

12 (5)

0.995

12 (7)

Swallow food impaired

35 (21)

12 (2)

12 (5)

0.995

12 (7)

Feeling depressed

34 (20)

6 (1)

14 (6)

0.661

12 (7)

Constipation

30 (18)

18 (3)

9 (4)

0.393

12 (7)

Dizziness

27 (16)

0 (0)

16 (7)

0.175

12 (7)

Hiccups

22 (13)

18 (3)

7 (3)

0.338

10 (6)

Intestinal cramps

22 (13)

18 (3)

5 (2)

0.132

8 (5)

Impaired sight

42 (25)

12 (2)

5 (2)

0.317

7 (4)

Itch

32 (19)

12 (2)

5 (2)

0.317

7 (4)

Feeling anxious

27 (16)

6 (1)

7 (3)

0.997

7 (4)

Swallowing fluid impaired

23 (14)

12 (2)

5 (2)

0.317

7 (4)

Diarrhea

20 (12)

12 (2)

5 (2)

0.317

7 (4)

Incontinence of feces

8 (5)

6 (1)

7 (3)

0.997

7 (4)

Coughing

38 (23)

6 (1)

5 (2)

0.997

5 (3)

Pressure ulcers

8 (5)

12 (2)

0 (0)

0.996

3 (2)

Comprehension of speech impaired

7 (4)

0 (0)

5 (2)

0.998

3 (2)

Paralyzed limbs

5 (3)

0 (0)

2 (1)

0.999

2 (1)

Skin metastasis

3 (2)

0 (0)

2 (1)

0.999

2 (1)

Incontinence of urine

10 (6)

0 (0)

0 (0)

1.00

0 (0)

  1. The SOS-V was missing in four patients.
  2. Scoring: 1-not at all; 2-slightly ; 3-moderately; 4-seriously; 5-very seriously, hardly could be worse.
  3. Suffering bearable: scores 1–3; Suffering unbearable: scores 4,5.
  4. Rounded percentages and absolute numbers.
  5. *Between 0 to 1 missing observations per symptom.
  6. Fisher’s exact tests.