| Patient age (yrs) | p-value* | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | −65 | 65-79 | 80+ | biv. | multiv. |
1998 | n = 181 | n = 408 | n = 640 |  |  |
Request for EAS | 7,6 | 4,6 | 3,9 | 0.097 | 0.326 |
granted | 53 | 32 | 35 | 0.392 | 0.909 |
rejected | 47 | 68 | 65 | Â | Â |
2007 | n = 550 | n = 972 | n = 1207 |  |  |
Request for EAS | 10,3 | 5,6 | 2,6 | <0.001 | 0.034 |
granted | 63 | 64 | 38 | 0.039 | 0.296 |
rejected | 37 | 36 | 62 | Â | Â |
Reasons for granting | (n = 51) | (n = 64) | (n = 27) |  |  |
no prospect of improvement | 92 | 77 | 87 | 0.367 | 0.715 |
request/wish of the patient | 89 | 94 | 100 | 0.736 | 0.465 |
severe symptoms (excl. pain) | 81 | 67 | 71 | 0.612 | 0.803 |
severe pain | 69 | 57 | 50 | 0.508 | 0.702 |
loss of dignity | 50 | 57 | 43 | 0.751 | 0.675 |
low expected life quality | 46 | 61 | 64 | 0.379 | 0.478 |
expected further suffering | 42 | 57 | 71 | 0.239 | 0.170 |
life should not be prolonged needlessly | 19 | 45 | 67 | 0.016 | 0.066 |
request/wish of the family | 19 | 20 | 50 | 0.095 | 0.651 |
situation unbearable for family | 19 | 16 | 20 | 0.916 | 0.914 |
Reasons for rejecting | (n = 33) | (n = 27) | (n = 25) |  |  |
death before request granted | 60 | 47 | 32 | 0.230 | 0.548 |
patient revoked request | 20 | 12 | 17 | 0.808 | 0.994 |
no well-considered request | 7 | 11 | 13 | 0.823 | 0.494 |
fear for legal consequences | 7 | 18 | 0 | 0.104 | >0.999 |
suffering was not unbearable | 7 | 0 | 17 | 0.155 | 0.485 |
principle objections | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0.022 | 0.389 |
medical condition not hopeless | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0.110 | 0.818 |
institutional policy | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0.110 | >0.999 |
patient was not terminally ill | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.492 | >0.999 |
no voluntary request | 0 | 0 | 0 | >0.999 | >0.999 |
other reason(s) | 7 | 12 | 9 | 0.879 | 0.832 |