Table 4.
Factors that influenced the decision to provide active support up to but not including CPR, ranked by impact
| Factor | Impact on the decision | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Little | Moderate | Much | Ultimate | |
| Reversibility of illness | 22 (16) | 8 (6) | 31 (22) | 35 (25) | 45 (32) |
| Prognostic uncertainty | 46 (33) | 16 (11) | 33 (23) | 29 (21) | 17 (12) |
| Age (years) | 81 (57) | 18 (13) | 13 (9) | 11 (8) | 18 (13) |
| Relatives' opinion | 79 (56) | 15 (11) | 14 (10) | 13 (9) | 20 (14) |
| Emotion/conscience | 85 (60) | 12 (9) | 16 (11) | 16 (11) | 12 (9) |
| Physician's religious beliefs | 103 (73) | 14 (10) | 12 (9) | 7 (5) | 5 (4) |
| Legal concerns | 118 (84) | 13 (9) | 4 (3) | 4 (3) | 2 (1) |
| Patient's will | 125 (89) | 8 (6) | 4 (3) | 3 (2) | 1 (1) |
| Bad communication with relatives | 129 (91) | 7 (5) | 2 (1) | 1 (1) | 2 (1) |
| Family pressures | 125 (89) | 9 (6) | 4 (3) | 2 (1) | 1 (1) |
| Disagreements within the medical team | 130 (92) | 6 (4) | 3 (2) | 0 (0) | 2 (1) |
| Disagreements within the family | 134 (95) | 4 (3) | 1 (1) | 1 (1) | 1 (1) |
Data are presented as numbers (percentages) of patients. The respective section of the questionnaire was filled for 141 patients. CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation.