Table 3.
Symptom unbearability in the domain of medical symptoms in patients with and without an explicit request for euthanasia (n = 60)
| 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) |
The SOS-V was missing in four patients.
Scoring: 1-not at all; 2-slightly ; 3-moderately; 4-seriously; 5-very seriously, hardly could be worse.
Suffering bearable: scores 1–3; Suffering unbearable: scores 4,5.
Rounded percentages and absolute numbers.
*Between 0 to 1 missing observations per symptom.
Fisher’s exact tests.