Diagnóstico e tratamento precoce dos casos de Hanseníase: dificuldades apontadas pelos Enfermeiros da Estrategia Saúde da Família.

Abstract

Leprosy still remains a serious public health problem, requiring the nurse an epidemiological standpoint to operationalize the prevention actions and control that ranges from the active search for new case detection, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment to the pursuit of defaulters. Therefore, this study aimed primarily to describe the main difficulties mentioned by the nurses to quickly diagnose and treat properly the leprosy patients registered at the Family Health Strategy from the city of Sousa-PB. This is an exploratory and descriptive study with quantitative and qualitative approach, developed with 26 nurses working in FHS, chosen through an intentional non-probabilistic sampling. The data collected between May and June of this year by the use of a semi-structured questionnaire was analyzed quantitatively by calculation of descriptive statistics and qualitatively through the technique of content analysis. Importantly, the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the State University of Paraiba under 0.180,0.133.000-11 number. The main results reveal a profile of young adult professionals aged between 29 and 34 years (50%), mostly female (92%), married (62%), followers of the Catholic doctrine (78%), formed between one to five years (58%), with the title of experts in various areas of nursing (92%), acting in the FHS between seven months to three years (65%), with family incomes ranging from two to five minimum wages (50%) and above five minimum wages (50%) national current. Moreover, it was found that 54% of participants did some training in leprosy, referring there's no case registered or being in accompaniment at the unit actually; 54% emphasized already have diagnosed a new case, and this activity is performed by the doctor and nurse simultaneously (58%) in the health unit. Among the difficulties cited by 42% of the participants to diagnose the disease, stands to clinical and operational, the patient's noncompliance to the unity, die high demand on the service, the realization of the differential diagnosis, the lack of specific material resources. Among the problems highlighted by 31% of nurses to perform the appropriate treatment of leprosy, it's cited the testing, the resistance of patients to treatment, the insecurity of discharge by healing, the excessive demand in attendance. In all, 42% of the sample consider leprosy control program ineffective because they consider the need for capacity building and training of professionals involved with the problem. So, it is considered the need for permanent training to Nurses, allowing them to get updated technical knowledge and practical skills sufficient to earlier diagnose and treat cases of leprosy correctly, ensuring the interrupt the chain of transmission and prevention of physical disabilities.