“NÃO É A CURA, MAS É O QUE MANTÉM A VIDA”: Representações sobre a hemodiálise

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is identified as a global public health problem all over the world and, at an advanced stage, it is necessary to perform substitutive renal treatment that can occur through dialysis or kidney transplantation. This article aims to understand the representations that patients give to hemodialysis. This is a qualitative study carried out in a Renal Replacement Therapy Unit located in the Ceará’s inland city. The participants were 11 people who have a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease and undergo hemodialysis treatment. The instrument used was the semi-structured interview, which was analyzed from the perspective of content analysis. Categories were created that dealt with treatment, finitude, transplantation and coping resources. Feelings of fear and anguish were identified at the beginning of the treatment and an ambiguous relationship with the machine. The transplant is scored as a new life. The main coping resources identified were faith, family support and relationships with other patients and the team. This study made it possible to understand how adaptation to treatment occurs and how patients deal with this process.