Trends in end-of-life practices before and after the enactment of the euthanasia law in the Netherlands from 1990 to 2010: a repeated cross-sectional survey

Premature closure of the debate

“…But we are reassured by data from the Netherlands that suggest that involuntary euthanasia became less common after legalization of physicianassisted death, 5 and data from Switzerland 6 and the United States 7 that show that vulnerable populations are less likely to receive physician-assisted death.…”

Leitlinie zur Palliativen Sedierungstherapie (Langversion)

“…Die mit medikamentösen Mitteln herbeigeführte Bewusstseinsdämpfung am Lebensende wird zunehmend angewandt [2] und wird als ethisch akzeptable Alternative zu kontroversiell diskutierten Praktiken am Lebensende, wie Tötung auf Verlangen oder ärzt-lich assistiertem Suizid, betrachtet [3]. "Ethisch akzeptabel" für alle Betroffenen kann ein Verfahren sein, wenn es in einen normativen Rahmen gesetzt ist, der die betroffenen ethischen Prinzipien transparent macht und die strafrechtlich relevanten Normen und die Interessen aller Beteiligten respektiert.…”

Physician-assisted death and the anesthesiologist

“…In the Netherlands in 2001, prior to legalization, euthanasia and PAS accounted for 2.6% and 0.2% of yearly deaths, respectively. 3 The most recent of these studies from 2010 showed that euthanasia and PAS made up 2.8% and 0.1%, respectively, of total yearly deaths in that country. 3 Over a one-year period from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014, there were 256,721 deaths in Canada.…”

“…3 The most recent of these studies from 2010 showed that euthanasia and PAS made up 2.8% and 0.1%, respectively, of total yearly deaths in that country. 3 Over a one-year period from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014, there were 256,721 deaths in Canada. 4 If the Canadian experience proves to be similar to that of the Netherlands, deaths from PAD could number more than 7,000 per year.…”

“…8,9 We know from systematic review and survey data that, in Belgium and the Netherlands, general practitioners and those specialized in care of the elderly carry out 43-66% of PAD. 3 Specialists are involved in 34-50% of the cases of assisted death; however, based on the literature, the types of specialists involved remain unclear. 3,10 Nonetheless, the drugs that are used are often the province of anesthesiologists, and in a random sample of physicianassisted deaths in Belgium, opioids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and even non-depolarizing muscle relaxants were used, albeit less often.…”