La ausencia familiar en la atención de urgencia conlleva sufrimiento en pacientes y familiares / The absence of the family in emergency care contributes to suffering in patients and family members

OBJETIVO: Conocer el significado que atribuyen pacientes adultos y sus familias a la ausencia familiar durante la atención de urgencia. MÉTODO: Estudio cualitativo siguiendo la propuesta de la teoría fundamentada con recogida de datos en 2 unidades públicas de urgencias hospitalarias, localizadas en el sur de Brasil. Se llevaron a cabo 15 entrevistas con pacientes y 15 entrevistas con familiares durante los meses de octubre de 2016 a febrero de 2017. Los datos fueron analizados siguiendo el método comparativo contante. RESULTADOS: Los pacientes y familiares vivencian la ausencia familiar en la atención de urgencia como un proceso de sufrimiento causado por la separación del binomio familia-paciente; por la falta de entendimiento acerca de los motivos que justifican la exclusión familiar, y por enfrentarse a la situación con resignación. CONCLUSIÓN: La urgencia per se conlleva un sufrimiento en el paciente y sus familiares; este sufrimiento se intensifica cuando la familia es apartada y no puede acompañar al paciente durante la atención de urgencia. En vista de estos resultados, es necesario desarrollar estrategias y políticas sanitarias que contribuyan a la atención integral de pacientes y familias en unidades de urgencias hospitalarias

AIM: To understand what the absence of the family during emergency care means to adult patients and their families to. METHOD: A grounded theory study was conducted in two emergency units of two public hospitals in southern Brazil. From October 2016 to February 2017, 15 interviews with patients and 15 with family members were carried out. The data were analyzed following the comparative method. RESULTS: The patients and families experienced the absence of the family in emergency care as a process of suffering caused by the separation of patient and family; they did not understand the reasons for family exclusion, and were resigned to the situation. CONCLUSIÓN: Urgent care per se entails suffering in patients and their relatives; this suffering intensifies when the family is separated and cannot accompany the patient during emergency care. These results show the need to develop health strategies and policies that contribute to the comprehensive care of patients and families in hospital emergency units

The absence of the family in emergency care contributes to suffering in patients and family members. / La ausencia familiar en la atención de urgencia conlleva sufrimiento en pacientes y familiares.

AIM: To understand what the absence of the family during emergency care means to adult patients and their families to. METHOD: A grounded theory study was conducted in two emergency units of two public hospitals in southern Brazil. From October 2016 to February 2017, 15 interviews with patients and 15 with family members were carried out. The data were analyzed following the comparative method. RESULTS: The patients and families experienced the absence of the family in emergency care as a process of suffering caused by the separation of patient and family; they did not understand the reasons for family exclusion, and were resigned to the situation. CONCLUSION: Urgent care per se entails suffering in patients and their relatives; this suffering intensifies when the family is separated and cannot accompany the patient during emergency care. These results show the need to develop health strategies and policies that contribute to the comprehensive care of patients and families in hospital emergency units.