Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of candidates for liver transplantation

Abstract

Objective: In order to generate evidence to contribute to the clinical practice of nurses in implementing interventions to improve care, this study aimed to analyze sociodemographic and clinical data of candidates for liver transplantation. Methods: cross-sectional, prospective study conducted at a tertiary hospital in a city of São Paulo state. At the beginning of data collection, 77 patients were registered on the waiting list, however, the registry is dynamic. Thus, the sample size was by convenience with the participation of 85 candidates. Results: Most of the sample was male, married and studied up to elementary school. The average Model for End-stage Liver Disease was 15.75 points, 70.60% of the candidates were overweight, with a viral cause as the main cause of chronic liver disease. The main clinical manifestations presented by the participants were esophageal varices, fatigue and gynecomastia in men. Conclusion: Knowledge of the characteristics of candidates for liver transplantation can support the direction of nursing actions with a view to the adoption of individualized decisions enabling the improvement of health care.