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Table 4 Attitudes regarding which aspects should be respected in LST limitation decision-making

From: Experiences and attitudes of medical professionals on treatment of end-of-life patients in intensive care units in the Republic of Croatia: a cross-sectional study

The following aspects should be respected in LST limitation decision-making

All

Physician

Nurses

Male

Female

N

%

N

%

N

%

N

%

N

%

Good medical practice

I strongly agree

241

55.0

89

65.0

152

50.5

59

58.4

179

53.9

I agree

113

25.8

31

22.6

82

27.2

29

28.7

84

25.3

I cannot decide

39

8.9

9

6.6

30

10.0

9

8.9

29

8.7

I disagree

9

2.1

1

0.7

8

2.7

1

1.0

8

2.4

I strongly disagree

12

2.7

1

0.7

11

3.7

1

1.0

11

3.3

Patient’s interests

I strongly agree

225

51.4

96

70.1

129

42.9

55

54.5

167

50.3

I agree

121

27.6

27

19.7

94

31.2

26

25.7

94

28.3

I cannot decide

51

11.6

8

5.8

43

14.3

17

16.8

34

10.2

I disagree

6

1.4

1

0.7

5

1.7

0

0

6

1.8

I strongly disagree

15

3.4

4

2.9

11

3.7

3

3.0

12

3.6

Patient’s autonomy

I strongly agree

153

34.9

66

48.2

87

28.9

36

35.6

115

34.6

I agree

136

31.1

41

29.9

95

31.6

30

29.7

104

31.3

I cannot decide

84

19.2

17

12.4

67

22.3

22

21.8

62

18.7

I disagree

18

4.1

5

3.7

13

4.3

7

6.9

11

3.3

I strongly disagree

18

4.1

4

2.9

14

4.7

3

3.0

15

4.5

Treatment costs

I strongly agree

67

15.3

13

9.5

54

17.9

14

13.9

53

16.0

I agree

100

22.8

26

19.0

74

24.6

21

20.8

77

23.2

I cannot decide

91

20.8

35

25.6

56

18.6

29

28.7

62

18.7

I disagree

87

19.9

29

21.2

58

19.3

20

19.8

67

20.2

I strongly disagree

73

16.7

32

23.4

41

13.6

16

15.8

55

16.6

ADs

I strongly agree

209

47.7

67

48.9

142

47.2

41

40.6

165

49.7

I agree

124

28.3

38

27.7

86

28.6

30

29.7

93

28.0

I cannot decide

61

13.9

18

13.1

43

14.3

20

19.8

40

12.1

I disagree

18

4.1

9

6.6

9

3.0

8

7.9

10

3.0

I strongly disagree

12

2.7

4

2.9

8

2.7

2

2.0

10

3.0

Wishes expressed by the family/legal guardians

I strongly agree

94

21.5

16

11.7

78

25.9

10

9.9

83

25.0

I agree

162

37.0

43

31.4

119

39.5

36

35.6

123

37.1

I cannot decide

107

24.4

43

31.4

64

21.3

35

34.7

71

21.4

I disagree

37

8.5

20

14.6

17

5.7

12

11.9

25

7.5

I strongly disagree

22

5.0

13

9.5

9

3.0

8

7.9

14

4.2

Legal regulations

I strongly agree

159

36.3

64

46.7

95

31.6

34

33.7

124

37.4

I agree

140

32.0

39

28.5

101

33.6

32

31.7

106

31.9

I cannot decide

75

17.1

17

12.4

58

19.3

18

17.8

55

16.6

I disagree

29

6.6

8

5.8

21

7.0

11

10.9

18

5.4

I strongly disagree

15

3.4

6

4.4

9

3.0

4

4.0

11

3.3

Religious principles

I strongly agree

82

18.7

30

21.9

52

17.3

18

17.8

63

19.0

I agree

138

31.5

44

32.1

94

31.2

27

26.7

110

33.1

I cannot decide

130

29.7

32

23.4

98

32.6

37

36.6

91

27.4

I disagree

36

8.2

17

12.4

19

6.3

10

9.9

26

7.8

I strongly disagree

34

7.8

13

9.5

21

7.0

8

7.9

26

7.8

Need for beds in the ICU

I strongly agree

28

6.4

3

2.2

25

8.3

3

3.0

25

7.5

I agree

31

7.1

10

7.3

21

7.0

10

9.9

21

6.3

I cannot decide

65

14.8

10

7.3

55

18.3

14

13.9

50

15.1

I disagree

89

20.3

32

23.4

57

18.9

28

27.7

61

18.4

I strongly disagree

205

46.8

80

58.4

125

41.5

46

45.5

156

47.0

  1. ICU intensive care unit; LST life-sustaining treatment; AD advance directives
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