[Pain and suffering; commentaries by patients who undergo kidney dialysis]

Pain and suffering are two frequent symptoms in patients who undergo kidney dialysis, which directly affects their quality of life. This present study analyses, by means of a qualitative methodology the pain and suffering registered in commentaries by kidney patients to determine what they refer to when they speak about pain and suffering and to be able to offer health professionals some elements for making judgments which favor more individualized treatment. Patients who undergo dialysis refer to two clearly distinct types of pain: endogenous, or pain caused by secondary effects their disease has, and exogenous, or anxiety or the loss of something, in this instance their health status, which accompanies their suffering. When confronting such a situation, a health professional must find resources which permit him/her to provide a clear and concise response to these two symptoms in the daily life of kidney patients, using innovating tools which are removed from a simple pill or syrup.