Rev. Soc. Bras. Enferm. Ped.2020;20(2):80-6.
Profile of children and adolescents in palliative care at the pediatric oncology intensive care center
DOI: 10.31508/1676-3793202000012
Abstract
Objective:
To characterize the clinical and demographic profile of children and adolescents admitted to the Pediatric Oncology Intensive Care Center in exclusive palliative care between 2008 and 2018.
Methods:
Retrospective and quantitative study with analysis of all medical records of children and adolescents in exclusive palliative care (n=57).
Results:
We identified that most hospitalizations (64.9%) involved children, 85.9% of children/adolescents lived in Rio de Janeiro and 98.2% remained accompanied by relatives during the hospitalization period. In terms of religion, 76.3% were Christians. Among the types of neoplasia, neuroblastoma was the most prevalent (26.3%), and 93% of these children/adolescents died in the investigated period.
Conclusion:
It is important to know the clinical and demographic profile of these children/adolescents, with the impossibility of treatment to modify the illness, so that palliative care can be offered early, besides enhancing the support networks, values, desires and biographies of each patient and family.
Keywords: Neoplasms; Palliative Care; Pediatric Intensive Care Unit