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Parent's perception on end-of-life care in Brazil

Introduction

The aim of the study is evaluate the perceptions of parents of children who died in two Brazilian pediatric ICUs.

Methods

An exploratory-descriptive study with a qualitative approach in the PICU of Hospital São Lucas and Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre involving 15 parents of children who died. Data collection was performed through three steps: (a) the researchers contacted the parents through a telephone call to invite them to attend the hospitals; (b) at the hospital, the doctors who assisted the children clarified doubts about the therapy offered; and (c) an interview was carried out by two researchers not involved in the care. Data analysis was performed using the technique of thematic content analysis.

Results and conclusion

The research shows that the difficulty of communication is a factor that impacts negatively on the grieving process. Moreover, it stresses the importance for parents to rediscuss the moment of their child's death with health professionals.

References

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Lago, P., Piva, J., Halal, G. et al. Parent's perception on end-of-life care in Brazil. Crit Care 17 (Suppl 2), P532 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/cc12470

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