[Trends in the agents used for euthanasia and the relationship with the number of notifications].
OBJECTIVE
To provide insight into the relationship between the drugs used for euthanasia and its notification.


METHODS
Retrospective and descriptive.


METHODS
By comparing the drugs used for euthanasia according to different components of studies carried out in 1990, 1995 and 2000, insight was obtained into the drugs used in all cases of euthanasia satisfying the definition thereof (death-certificate studies), those cases of euthanasia that, in addition, were defined as such by the physician (physician interviews), and the cases of euthanasia that, in addition, had been reported (reported case studies).


RESULTS
In 2001, standard drugs for euthanasia were used in 76% of cases and opioids in 23%. Euthanasia with standard drugs was reported in 73% of cases in 1995, and in 71% of cases in 2000, while euthanasia with opioids was reported in 2% and 1% of cases, respectively. The total percentage of euthanasia reported was higher in 2001 than in 1995 (54% versus 44%), since in 2001 euthanasia was apparently performed more often with standard drugs and less with opioids.


CONCLUSIONS
An increasing proportion of cases of euthanasia is being carried out with the drugs recommended for this purpose. Euthanasia with opioids was rarely reported. Possibly, physicians did not always consider these cases to be euthanasia.
Rurup
M L
ML
VU Medisch Centrum, Instituut voor Extramuraal Geneeskundig Onderzoek, afd Sociale Geneeskunde, Amsterdam. m.rurup@vumc.nl
Onwuteaka-Philipsen
B D
BD
van der Heide
A
A
van der Wal
G
G
van der Maas
P J
PJ
D001463:Barbiturates / Q000506:poisoning*; D003644:Death Certificates; D033101:Euthanasia, Active, Voluntary / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central / Q000506:poisoning*; D009294:Narcotics / Q000506:poisoning; D009426:Netherlands; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000639:trends
D001463:Barbiturates; D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central; D009294:Narcotics