Assistência de enfermagem ao recém-nascido com hidrocefalia: debilidades e potencialidades no processo do cuidar.

Abstract

Hydrocephalus is a permanent health issue that affects the patient throughout his whole life and it is characterized by the cerebrospinal fluid accumulation and sub sequential dilatation of ventricles, causing an increase in intracranial pressure. Often the treatment of the newborn with hydrocephalus is surgical, whereby is made a new bypass path in order to remove and drain the excess liquid. It is noteworthy that assistance to the newborn with hydrocephalus consists in holistic care, considering his various needs and his caregivers and parents, having fundamental role in the procedures, techniques and care throughout the whole hospitalization period. The objective of this study was analyze nursing assistance of newborn with hydrocephalus at intensive care units and neonatal intermediate care of reference, in the city of João Pessoa-PB. It is a descriptive research, transversal and of quantitative approach, that was made on the Instituto Materno-infantil of reference, in João Pessoa, capital city of the state Paraíba. The sample is composed of 20 nurses and 55 nursing technicians of these neonatal units, totalizing 75 professionals, following the criteria of including professionals that previously assisted one or more newborns with hydrocephalus. The means of data collection used was questionnaire; the collected data was stored and analyzed by the statistics software EPI INFO 7.1.5, and the raised indicators were submitted to statistical treatment by means of relative frequencies, absolute and accumulated. The results obtained were represented through tables and graphics and were discussed in accord with published literature about the topic. As results, the following are noteworthy: 18 (90,00%) of nursing professionals affirmed having post-graduation course; of these, only 5 (27,78%) have the post-graduation course in Neonatology and Pediatrics; regarding employment bond, the data shows that (32,00%) of them have stable bond with the institution by means of public competition and 51 (68,00%) of the interviewed, are bound by contract; 44 (58,67%) affirm having “Very Good” and “Good” practical and theoretic knowledge of hydrocephalus, and 31 (41,33%) said to have “Regular” or “Bad” knowledge about the disease. Only 29 (38,67%) of the participants answered that always perform SNA during service, 17 (22,67%) affirmed “Almost Always”, 21 (28,00%) answered “sometimes” and 8 (10,66%) affirmed it is “almost never” or “never” performed day to day in assistance; regarding familiar support offered by professionals to parents or guardians, 75 (100,00%) of professionals acknowledge that interaction between professional and guardians benefit the patient’s recovery, however, 59 (78,67%) affirm that “almost always” or “always” provide an environment for conversation, getting closer to the family of the newborn, and offering support in this difficult moment. Given the above, the study showed that most participants have adequate knowledge of the disease, but the individual needs and assistance are not always adequate, because it is noted a deficit in capacitation to give assistance to this newborn.