Doença renal crônica: vivência do paciente em tratamento de hemodiálise.

Despite all technological advances in the last decades, kidney patients still need to adapt to emotional and behavioral changes due to chronic kidney disease and its treatment. This paper aims to identify the hemodialysis treatment role on chronic kidney patient's daily life. By means of interviews analyses, ambivalent feelings towards treatment were found as well as symptoms of depression and impotence with prevalence of dependence, which hinders patients' daily activities. Emotional alterations were found to be present, regardless of disease stage, age or gender. Other findings are: the influence of surroundings, with safety and stability stemming from the support network expressed by kidney patients regarding acceptance of the disease and treatment; individual characteristics as a part of the chronic disease treatment process; signs of rebellion and acceptance found in the diseased, which are shown to be a necessary part of the adaptation and adherence process of hemodialysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]