Table 5 Expected shortening of life reported by physicians who limited treatment
Action and consequence: Time of estimated shortening of life | Limiting treatment with intended shortening of life (n = 75) | Limiting treatment with possible shortening of life (n = 29) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | Withholding | Withdrawing | Total | Withholding | Withdrawing | |||||||
N | %a | N | % | N | % | N | %a | N | % | N | % | |
1–6 months | 10 | 13.7 | 6 | 12.5 | 4 | 16.0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
1–4 weeks | 14 | 19.2 | 8 | 16.7 | 6 | 24.0 | 3 | 10.7 | 2 | 13.3 | 1 | 7.7 |
1–7 days | 32 | 43.8 | 22 | 45.8 | 10 | 40.0 | 9 | 32.1 | 7 | 46.7 | 2 | 15.4 |
<24 h | 9 | 12.3 | 8 | 16.7 | 1 | 4.0 | 4 | 14.3 | -- | -- | 4 | 30.8 |
Not shortened at all | 8 | 11.0 | 4 | 8.3 | 4 | 16.0 | 12 | 42.9 | 6 | 40.0 | 6 | 46.2 |
Missing data | 2 | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |