PERCEPTION OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ON ARTIFICIAL FEEDING IN PATIENTS AT LATE STAGE

Food plays an essential role in people’s lives and its importance does not change with time or with the presence of a disease that threatens life. It is common at the end of life or the presence of intolerance to an artificial diet. There are evidences that artificial feeding can worsen suffering at the end of life. However, food has a cultural influence and nourishing to death must be a joint decision of the patient, family and the multidisciplinary team. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the perception of health professionals working in a transition (hospice care and rehabilitation), with 37 beds, in Salvador-BA, on feeding in end-of-life patients. Method: in July/2019 an applied questionnaire with the institution’s employees. 05 affirmatives were analyzed about the professional’s perception of artificial feeding offered to the patient at the end of life. The participants evaluated each of them through 5 points of the Likert scale (1 = totally disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = do not agree or disagree, 4 = agree; 5 = totally agree). The confidentiality and anonymity of the professionals were guaranteed through data collection, and consent is conjectured via delivery of the questionnaire. Outcome: 42 participants were evaluated, mostly (61.9%) of the nursing staff (18 technicians, 6 nurses and 2 caregivers), 4 physicians, 1 nutritionist and 11 other health professionals. Majority of females (85.7%); 15 less than 5 years (35.7%), 17 between 6 and 10 years (40.4%), 8 with more than 10 (19%) and 2 did not respond (4.7%). 10 with Palliative Care training (23.8%), 4 in (9.5%) and 28 without training (66.6%). 93% agreed that the patient in end of life has the right to refuse food. Only 11% agreed with the implantation of catheter for artificial feeding in end-of-life patient. Only 7% considered that not introducing/suspending end-of-life nutrition would speed up the process of death. 69% consider, however, that end-of-life nutrition may contribute to patient discomfort. However, 55% consider that there might be contradictory behaviour within the multidisciplinary team in this theme. Conclusion: it is a controversial issue, with divergence of conduct and contradictory attitudes even in a specialized and homogeneous services as a hospice. It is observed the need to expand the study and new discussions on the subject.