HYPODERMOCLYSIS IN PALLIATIVE PATIENTS: A PERSPECTIVE OF NURSING KNOWLEDGE IN SÃO GABRIEL DA CACHOEIRA ABOUT SUBCUTANEOUS INFUSION IN PALLIATIVE PATIENTS IN HOME CARE

Abstract

The increase in the population’s life expectancy and the increase in the number of chronic degenerative and sexually transmitted diseases have rose the number of people who need palliative care. Palliative care, defined as the actions that do not cure, but alleviate the patient's physical, psychic, emotional, and spiritual suffering, has been a differential in home care as it interacts with humanized care. To analyze the nursing professionals from São Gabriel da Cachoeira’s knowledge about the use of hypodermoclysis in palliative care patients, a technique that consists of introducing a catheter into the subcutaneous route for therapeutic treatment of patients in palliative care. This study is an action research, with a mixed approach (qualitative and quantitative). The results indicate that the professionals’ knowledge and experience regarding the hypodermoclysis technique is low. It is concluded that procedures, training, and prescriptions should be carried out in order to encourage the practice of the technique in palliative care.