Cases of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide among AIDS patients reported to the Public Prosecutor in North Holland.
BACKGROUND
Euthanasia is performed relatively frequently among AIDS patients.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between euthanasia and physician assisted suicide (EAS) and AIDS.


METHODS
A descriptive retrospective study in which data was collected from all cases of EAS which were reported to the Public Prosecutor in North Holland between 1984 and 1993.


RESULTS
In 7% of the reported cases of EAS the patient had AIDS, and in most of these cases the physician involved was a general practitioner. Both the percentage of AIDS among the cases of EAS and the percentage of EAS among all deaths due to AIDS increased over the years. In 1992, 23% of all deaths due AIDS were reported as cases of EAS.


CONCLUSIONS
It seems, in recent years, that EAS has been performed on at least one out of three AIDS patients, which is a far greater percentage than found among other patients.
Onwuteaka-Philipsen
B D
BD
Vrije Universiteit, Department of General Practice, Nursing Home Medicine, Social Medicine and Health and Culture, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
van der Wal
G
G
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; D000328:Adult; D005065:Euthanasia / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D033101:Euthanasia, Active, Voluntary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000639:trends; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012922:Social Change; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends