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Table 3 Opinions of physicians and nurses from oncology and palliative care team concerning the French law « Claeys-Leonetti » about end-of-life care

From: Could palliative sedation be seen as unnamed euthanasia?: a survey among healthcare professionals in oncology

 

Physicians (n = 22)

Nurses (n = 34)

P value

Reading the entire law

6

22

0,013

Deep sedation :

 Favourable

19

33

ns

 Hostile

1

1

 No response

2

0

Refractory suffering criteria* (multiple choices available)

 Unbearable pain

17

31

ns

 Patient defines it

16

17

ns

 Mental suffering

12

23

ns

 Severe alteration of the global status

4

1

ns

 visible tumor lesions on the body

0

1

ns

 Extensive tumor on the face

1

4

ns

Nutrition as a treatment in the setting of end-of-life care : Yes when

 Total artificial nutrition

16 (80%)

33 (97%)

0,05

 Partial artificial nutrition

10

26

0,024

 Parenteral nutrition

15

31

0,03

 Enteral nutrition

13

25

ns

 No Response

2

0

ns

Hydration as a treatment in the setting of end-of-life care :

 Yes

8

23

0,03

 No

12

11

ns

 No response

2

0

ns

Stopping a treatment or not initiating it :

 It is the same

3

4

ns

 It is different

18

29

ns

 No response

1

1

ns

Short term prognosisb

 About a month

3

6

ns

 About 2 weeks

3

2

ns

 About 1 week

3

1

ns

 Agony phase

2

0

ns

 Impossible to give an estimation

10

24

0,04

 No response

1

1

ns

Considering direct euthanasiac versus indirect euthanasiaa,c

 It is the same

2

5

ns

 It is different

19

28

ns

 No response

1

1

ns

Considering directc euthanasia versus passive euthanasiae

 It is the same

1

2

ns

 It is different

20

31

ns

 No response

1

1

ns

Considering indirect euthanasiad versus passive euthanasiae

 It is the same

8

4

ns

 It is different

13 (59%)

29 (85%)

0,042

 No response

1

1

ns

Does the law « open a door » to indirect euthanasia ?

 Yes

14

16

ns

 No

7

18

ns

 No response

1

0

ns

Does the law « open a door » to passive euthanasia ?

 Yes

12

15

ns

 No

9

19

ns

 No response

1

0

ns

  1. arefractory suffering means symptoms which remain intolerable despite the patient receiving best known and possible care. In the questionnaire we asked (translation by authors) What do you define as refractory suffering? We proposed in a multiple choice question :
  2. Unbearable pain despite best available treatment/ Intense mental suffering / Tumor lesions of the face / One or more visible tumor lesions / deep alteration of the general status / It is the patient who defines it
  3. bIn the questionnaire we asked (translation by authors): In your opinion, what is the appropriate time period to talk about the "end of life" (of the "short term") in article 3 of the law when it is written "...when the decision of the patient, suffering from a serious and incurable disease, to stop a treatment, will affect his/ her short-term vital prognosis, and is likely to cause unbearable suffering". We proposed in a multiple choice question :
  4. the agonic phase/ about a week / about two weeks / about 3 weeks to a month / I don't know how to estimate this time
  5. On the questionnaire, before answering, persons had three definitions in conformity with those of the French Senate (translation by authors) :
  6. cDirect or active euthanasia is defined as deliberate administration of lethal substances with the intention of causing death, at the request of the patient who wishes to die, or without his or her consent, on the decision of a relative or medical professionals.
  7. dIndirect euthanasia is defined as use of painkillers whose secondary and unintended consequence is death.
  8. ePassive euthanasia is defined as refusal or withdrawl life-sustaining treatments.
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BMC Palliative Care

ISSN: 1472-684X

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