[The influence of media propagation of euthanasia on suicide attempts among terminally ill patients]

During consecutive two weeks of the year 2000 in the Clinic of Toxicology of Gdańsk Medical University we hospitalised because of suicide attempts three women suffering from cancer and one suffering from sclerosis multiplex. All of them as main cause for this desperate action mentioned the lack of sufficient pain control, but the direct inspiration was the local TV programme about euthanasia. According to the information in the TV programme the patients took orally morphine sulphate in the dosage from 300 to 1000 (615 approx.) mg. In all the four patients acute respiratory insufficiency occurred, one subject needed approximately 60 hours of respiratorotherapy. Psychiatric consultation revealed reactive depression syndrome in all the cases, requiring pharmacological treatment. After being discharged from the Clinic the patients were sent to Pain Control Dispensary.