Nursing action in the context of schistosomiasis

Abstract

In Brazil, schistosomiasis is caused by the helminth Schistosoma mansoni, being directly associated with poverty and inadequate living conditions, representing a serious public health problem in the country, where it is a compulsory notification disease. This study aimed to understand the nursing actions in the care of patients with schistosomiasis mansoni that, due to the different clinical manifestations during its evolution, may present difficulties in its diagnosis because it resembles many other diseases, which may delay its notification and treatment. To this end, a literature search was conducted in the MEDLINE, LILACS, CINAHL, BDENF, SciELO e Google Scholar databases: 41 articles were found, and 27 studies were selected to compose this review. In Brazil, among the activities carried out by professional nurses, especially in Primary Health Care, home visits stand out, an important strategy for evaluating and monitoring the socioeconomic, cultural and environmental conditions of the place where they work, with the home space being a place conducive to promoting reflection on the relationships between users/workers of intra-household health. Thus, through warnings about the need for investment in basic and environmental sanitation, in addition to health education actions, nurses can contribute to improving the quality of life of the less favored populations affected by this parasitosis.