SCIENTIFIC NURSING PRODUCTION ON CHILDHOOD HYPERTENSION: NARRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction: Pediatric arterial hypertension is associated with an increase in left ventricular mass and atherosclerosis in youth. It is a problem that needs to be controlled due to the risks of future problems it poses. Therefore, the study aimed to understand the scientific production of nurses on the subject. The aim is to recognize the fields of action of nurses in relation to this theme, based on the analysis of the literature and, in this way, update the professional class on the subject. Method: This is a narrative review research, in which a search was carried out in the virtual health library, the period adopted was between 2011 and 2020, the selected languages ​​were Portuguese, English and Spanish. For data collection, a variable form was used. The data were presented in tables and discussed in an orderly manner. Results: In the search for articles, 56 articles were found that had some relation to the theme, however, after the inclusion and exclusion criteria, only 8 articles were selected. Two articles were integrative reviews, aimed at identifying and mainly gathering what was published in the literature and presenting concepts such as assessment and causes of pediatric hypertension. One article was informative in nature, updating nurses on some ideas such as identification of other comorbidities, low birth weight and prematurity, two articles were clinical cases, which aimed to introduce, illustrate, discuss and demonstrate concepts. A pilot study conducted with students in a school, where they received lectures on high blood pressure and training on how to measure it and guidance for people with alterations, a longitudinal study, conducted by nurses, where variables such as overweight, high BP and AN were analyzed in students from the third to fifth grade over a period of 4 years. Another correlational study, talks about the influence of the environment built around children with obesity and hypertension, where the performance of physical activity was considered. Conclusion: The research proposal to know what nursing has produced in relation to childhood hypertension demonstrated incipient results. Regarding national production on the subject, only one study was catalogued, which dealt with the prevalence of high BP and the authorship of health professionals in the studies, where it was demonstrated that nurses produce little. As a weakness, the study presents reduced strength of scientific evidence, as it is impossible to reproduce its methodology, does not inform the criteria for the evaluation and selection of works, and is subject to the personal interpretation of the author. The absence of the nursing process in the context of childhood hypertension was also noted. An important point to consider is the debate that the research provides.