Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Corso di laurea in infermieristica - Sede di Modena
| Thesis Title | Coeliac disease in childhood: the nurse’s role in assisting and taking care of the paediatric patient and his family |
|---|---|
| Name | Ragazzi Deborah |
| Supervisor(s) | Cavani Francesco, Laffi Patrizia |
| Academic Year | 2019/20 |
| Thesis type | Non research thesis |
Abstract
Coeliac disease is a chronic disease, frequent among the population and with an increasingly high incidence worldwide; the discovery of coeliac disease and the need to follow a strict gluten free diet can affect the child’s quality of life. The nurse is one of the professionals who supports and takes care of the child and his family throughout the diagnostic-therapeutic process. The paper aims to analyse coeliac disease in general, by defining pathology, symptoms, causes and mechanisms involved in its onset. It describes the diagnostic tests necessary for the diagnosis and the only available therapy to follow, that is the “gluten free” diet to avoid the onset of complications. The psychological implications of communicating the diagnosis and the quality of life of celiac children are outlined. The paper also describes the nurse’s role who, using technical and relational skills, plays a fundamental role from suspicion to diagnosis, to psychological and educational support to achieve autonomy in the management of the disease and in the related follow-ups to assess the adherence to the diet. Finally, the creation of a brochure necessary to support the child and his family in the educational path is proposed. A narrative review of the literature was carried out for the realisation of the thesis.