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BackgroundIntensive care treat critically ill patients. When intensive care is not considered beneficial for the patient, decisions to withdraw or withhold treatments are made. We aimed to identify independent patient variables that increase the odds for receiving a decision to withdraw or withhold intensive care.MethodsRegistry study using data from the Swedish Intensive Care Registry (SIR) 2014‐2016. Age, condition at admission, including co‐morbidities (Simplified Acute Physiology Score version 3, SAPS 3), diagnosis, sex, and decisions on treatment limitations were extracted. Patient data were divided into a full care (FC) group, and a withhold or withdraw (WW) treatment group.ResultsOf all 97 095 cases, 47.1% were 61‐80 years old, 41.9% were women and 58.1% men. 14 996 (15.4%) were allocated to the WW group and 82 149 (84.6%) to the FC group. The WW group, compared with the FC group, was older (P < 0.001), had higher SAPS 3 (P < 0.001) and were predominantly female (P < 0.001). Compared to patients 16‐20 years old, patients >81 years old had 11 times higher odds of being allocated to the WW group. Higher SAPS 3 (continuous) increased the odds of being allocated to the WW group by odds ratio [OR] 1.085, (CI 1.084‐1.087). Female sex increased the odds of being allocated to the WW group by 18% (1.18; CI 1.13‐ 1.23).ConclusionOlder age, higher SAPS 3 at admission and female sex were found to be independent variables that increased the odds to receive a decision to withdraw or withhold intensive care.

Background To make end‐of‐life (EOL) decisions is a complex and challenging task for intensive care physicians and a substantial variability in this process has been previously reported. However, a deeper understanding of intensivists’ experiences and attitudes regarding the decision‐making process is still, to a large extent, lacking. The primary aim of this study was to address Swedish intensivists’ experiences, beliefs and attitudes regarding decision‐making pertaining to EOL decisions. Second, we aimed to identify underlying factors that may contribute to variability in the decision‐making process. Method This is a descriptive, qualitative study. Semi‐structured interviews with nineteen intensivists from five different Swedish hospitals, with different ICU levels, were performed from 1 February 2017 to 31 May 2017. Results Intensivists strive to make end‐of‐life decisions that are well‐grounded, based on sufficient information. Consensus with the patient, family and other physicians is important. Concurrently, decisions that are made with scarce information or uncertain medical prognosis, decisions made during on‐call hours and without support from senior consultants cause concern for many intensivists. Underlying factors that contribute to the variability in decision‐making are lack of continuity among senior intensivists, lack of needed support during on‐call hours and disagreements with physicians from other specialties. There is also an individual variability primarily depending on the intensivist's personality. Conclusion Swedish intensivists’ wish to make end‐of‐life decisions based on sufficient information, medically certain prognosis and consensus with the patient, family, staff and other physicians. Swedish intensivists’ experience a variability in end‐of‐life decisions, which is generally accepted and not questioned.