Epidemic profile of kidney transplanted patients in a university hospital and the knowledge on the use of immunosuppressive medication

Abstract

Introduction: Transplantation is the surgery performed in patients with serious and irreversible problem in an organ or tissue; he receives a healthy one from a living donor or one in brain death. It doesn't pose the cure, but possibility of a new life perspective that demands the adhesion to long term therapeutics, continue multi-professional follow-up and use of immunosuppressive medication. Purpose: To know the epidemic profile of patients assisted at a kidney transplantation clinic; check average waiting time on hemodialysis until the kidney transplantation in a reference hospital; investigate the knowledge of transplanted patients on the importance of using immunosuppressive medication. Methods: exploratory, descriptive research in quantitative approach carried out at a kidney transplantation clinic of a university hospital in the city of Fortaleza-Ceará-Brazil. The population was composed by 84 patients of both genders who received a kidney between January 2008 and April 2009. The sample was composed by 25 patients who fitted in the inclusion criteria. Data was collected after authorized by the Research Ethics Committee of Federal University of Ceará (UFC) through a questionnaire composed by open and closed questions and analyzed by tables and graphs. Results: There was no change in the profile of patients assisted by the clinic compared to previous studies, the time of waiting for transplantation is long, demanding the patient to remain in hemodialysis. Conclusion: The amount of living donor remains small (20%), patients claim to know the importance of using immunosuppressive medication, although they not always follow the treatment with accuracy.