Goods, causes and intentions: problems with applying the doctrine of double effect to palliative sedation

BMC Medical Ethics

Table 1 Articles citing the doctrine of double effect by topic

Period	Total results	Euthanasia	Palliative sedation/analgesia	Other palliative care/end of life	Abortion	Other reproductive health	Conjoined twin separation	Biomedical research	Dual use technology	Philosophical analysis of the doctrine	Organ donation	Other
1970–1979	40	9	0	1	28	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
1980–1989	46	20	2	7	10	2	1	0	0	2	0	2
1990–1999	313	178	41	33	20	5	5	11	0	7	6	7
2000–2009	158	41	41	18	9	7	22	4	0	5	5	6
2010–2020	70	12	20	9	2	6	1	1	0	0	0	4
Total Articles	627	260	104	68	69	21	30	16	15	14	11	19
Percentage (%)	100	41.5	16.6	10.8	11.0	3.5	4.8	2.6	2.4	2.2	1.8	3.0

Of the 629 articles identified in the search, 2 (both from 2010 to 2020) were excluded for not relating to the doctrine
The remaining 627 articles were grouped by topic and decade of publication

ISSN: 1472-6939