GUIDELINES TO SELF-CARE TO TRANSPLANTED PATIENTS: A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

The main of this research is to investigate self-care orientations related to the patient’s feeding, the presence of pets, the sun protection, and the vaccines use by immunosuppressive transplant patients, as the purpose of seeking information and qualifying them regarding the degree of evidence and level of recommendation. For this, a narrative review study was conducted on the topics: feeding, domestic animals, sun protection, and vaccines. We performed the review through the selection of descriptors and searches in databases such as PubMed, as well as guidelines related to the transplant or immunosuppressive patients. The studies present a few recommendation grades and evidence level, maybe due to the ethical situation. The degree of recommendation and level of evidence were adopted according to the Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine. The patient’s feeding may be based on well-sourced, sanitized, well-cooked foods. This kind of patients might prefer fresh food. As for domestic animals such as cats, dogs, and birds they are allowed under hygienic and vaccination conditions. Exotic pets such as ducks, chickens, hamsters, and reptiles they are not recommended. The use of sunscreens is recommended to prevent the development of skin cancer. For the patients transplanted, only vaccines produced by the inactivated agent are indicated. The information identifi ed has a low level of recommendation and evidence, which may be related to ethical issues. The recommendations presented, despite the low evidence level and recommendation grade, are essential for preventing complications in transplant and immunosuppressive patients, and the classifi cation of evidence adopted is of a substantial diff erence in this research.