Orientações nutricionais para pacientes em hemodiálise: principais dificuldades relatadas por nutricionistas

Abstract

Introduçtion: nutritional counseling is essential for the survival of patients undergoing hemodialysis. The present study aimed to verify the nutritional counseling provided by nutritionists who work in hemodialysis clinics, as well as the forms of counseling and the difficulties for patient non-adherence to treatment. Methodology: descriptive observational study with nutritionists who work in hemodialysis clinics in Brazil. Results: most participants have graduated for 4 years or more, half have been working with hemodialysis for at least three years and the Southeast was the state with the highest number of participants. All nutritionists provide nutritional counseling on water intake and phosphorus consumption, and protein consumption was the critical item with the highest number of non-counseling. Most reported finding the working time insufficient to carry out all the counseling, however, no correlations were observed between this statement with the number of professionals, number of patients and working time. Individual conversations were the most reported form of counseling, and the patient's difficulty in understanding the main factor pointed out for non-adherence to the proposed therapy. Conclusion: that although all professionals provide nutritional counseling for patients, the lack of the recommended number of nutritionists and the excess of patients are obstacles to the improvement of this activity.