Children and adolecents in outpatient clinic chemotherapy: nursing implications

Abstract

Hospitalization was common in the care to the child with cancer. However, a great focus is being given to dehospitalization, whose viability occurred through the outpatient clinic follow up, the outpatient clinic chemotherapy, the day-hospitals and/or home care. This paper aims at analyzing the difficulties that the families face at the home environment when their children or adolescents are submitted to the outpatient clinic chemotherapy. The study was developed at the chemotherapy room of the University of São Paulo Hospital at Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine and the empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the children's parents in January and February, 2000. Results showed the following difficulties: changes in family daily life, health team inefficient communication; self-image alteration and chemotherapy side effects. This work enabled access to information that is of real interest in the care to children and/or adolescents with cancer and their families. Based on empirical data, authors elaborated a booklet on home care.