Figure 3. End-of-life decision makers for withhold and/or withdraw life support orders.

Relative frequencies [%] of documented health care professionals and family members or patientś surrogate decision makers in the end-of-life decision process. *¹ = the director of the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine or her substitutes; *² = the surgeon respective the physician primarily responsible for the underlying admission diagnosis; *³ = including the patient´s surrogate decision maker; Before*⁴ = period before 09/01/2009 with change of legislation; After*⁵ = period after 09/01/2009 with change of legislation.