Opzioni e propensioni di un campione di medici "intesivisti" riguardo all’interruzione e la sospensione delle cure in casi eticamente problematici (il questionario Ethicatt)

Attitudes of intensive care units (I.C.U.) doctors toward end of life practices were assessed by using the Ethicatt Questionnaire-Doctor, a 48-items instrument, approved by the 5 Framework Programme of the European Commission on the theme «tife and death in intensive care units in Europe. The ethics of decision-making about end of life». The study was conducted in collaboration with the Faculty of Sociology of the University «La Sapienza» ofRome, Italy. Items regarding decision about withdrawing or withholding treatments to cri- tically ill patients were evaluated. Results show that, although there is a general agreement that there is no difference between withdrawing or withholding treatments. in Italy I.C.U. doctors feel psychologically more difficult to withdraw than to with hold therapy to terminal patients.