Continuous deep sedation, physician-assisted suicide, and euthanasia in Huntington's disorder

• Aim: To investigate the attitudes among Swedish physicians and the general public towards continuous deep sedation (CDS) as an alternative treatment for a competent, not imminently dying patient with Huntington’s disorder requesting physician-assisted suicide (PAS) and euthanasia. Design: A questionnaire was distributed to 1200 physicians in Sweden and 1201 individuals in Stockholm. It consisted of three parts: 1) A vignette about a competent patient with Huntington’s disease requesting PAS. When no longer competent, relatives request euthanasia on behalf of the patient. Responders were asked about their attitudes towards these requests and whether CDS would be an acceptable alternative. 2) General questions about PAS and euthanasia. 3) Background variables. Results: The response rate was 56% (physicians) and 52% (general public). The majority of the general public and a fairly large proportion of physicians reported more liberal views on CDS than are expressed in current Swedish and international recommendations. Conclusion: In light of the results, we suggest that there is a need for a broader discussion about the recommendations for CDS, with a special focus on the needs of patients with progressive neurodegenerative disorders.

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