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Living with hepatitis: impact on the daily life of infected subjects

We performed a descriptive, exploratory, and qualitative study, to identify changes in the daily life of subjects with hepatitis. The data were collected in October 2011 from 12 patients with hepatitis B and/or C, through semi-structured interview, and subjected to thematic content analysis. The majority of the subjects were diagnosed with hepatitis B. The time of diagnosis ranged from less than 6 months to 12 years, and the diagnosis was made mainly through blood donation. Only two patients were taking interferon. The results were divided into two categories that describe feelings and reactions experienced by the interviewees, as well as some lifestyle changes. It was concluded that health professionals need to be aware of the complexity of phenomena concerning the illness process and life with hepatitis.

Hepatitis; Nursing; Communicable diseases; Diagnosis; Life change events; Nursing care


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