Nursing diagnosis in children with signs and symptoms of asthma: a description study

Abstract

The respiratory diseases are very common in childhood. The chronic asthma earns eminence for being the principal chronic disease in childhood and their symptoms generate suffering to patients and their families. The study aimed to analyze the nursing diagnosis present in children with respiratory signs and symptoms in Quixadá-CE, Brazil. This work was a descriptive and transversal research, accomplished with 30 children who were at hospital internment. Data were collected between March and April 2009. The evaluated children showed 13 nursing diagnosis, been identified 41 defining characteristics, 23 related factors and 19 risk factors. The most prevalent nursing diagnosis was ineffective airway clearance (100.0%), followed by ineffective breathing pattern (80%) and risk of infection (66.7%). It is important that nurses who look after children with respiratory diseases can direct their interventions to the diagnosis which are more frequently reported here.