Fig. 4From: Eleven-year retrospective study characterizing patients with severe brain damage and poor neurological prognosis -role of physicians’ attitude toward life-sustaining treatmentTemporal changes in the number of requests to withdraw life-sustaining treatment and actual withdrawal. The numbers of the requests of patients’ families to withdraw life-sustaining treatment after specific days of diagnosis (Dx) on neurological status were shown (A). Total numbers of families’ requests for withdrawal reached 22 cases in brainstem reflex [-] (BSR[-]) and 28 cases in BSR[ +] group (B). Physicians, however, actually withdrew the life-sustaining treatment in only 8 and 11 cases in the BSR[-] and BSR[ +] group, respectivelyBack to article page