Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026
A Retrograde Implantation Approach for Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter Placement in Mice
Published on: July 20, 2022
Experiences of Children Undergoing Peritoneal Dialysis: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study
Eda Demir1, Duygu Sönmez Düzkaya2
1Mersin University Hospital, Child Health and Diseases 2nd Service, Mersin, Türkiye.
Insights
Children on peritoneal dialysis face significant emotional, physical, and psychosocial challenges. Improving family-centered care and support systems is crucial for their well-being.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nephrology
- Psychosocial Health
- Qualitative Research
Background:
- Peritoneal dialysis is a key treatment for pediatric kidney failure.
- Children on peritoneal dialysis experience significant, yet under-documented, challenges.
- Understanding the child's perspective is vital for effective care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the lived experiences of children undergoing peritoneal dialysis.
- To inform family-centered nursing care strategies.
- To enhance psychosocial support for pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- Descriptive phenomenological design.
- Semi-structured interviews with 10 children (aged >7) on peritoneal dialysis for ≥1 year.
- Colaizzi's seven-step analysis using MAXQDA software.
Main Results:
- Key themes: emotional responses, physical burden, social/school disruption, family dynamics, coping.
- Commonly reported: fear, sadness, stress, abdominal pain, nausea, sleep issues.
- Significant social isolation, school absenteeism, and peer relationship difficulties.
Conclusions:
- Children undergoing peritoneal dialysis face substantial emotional, physical, and psychosocial burdens.
- Family-centered nursing care is essential for improving patient outcomes.
- Routine psychological screening, school liaison, and peer support are recommended.
Background:
Kidney transplantation is the preferred kidney replacement therapy for children with kidney failure; when not feasible, peritoneal dialysis is the preferred dialysis modality. Despite its clinical advantages, children undergoing peritoneal dialysis face significant emotional, physical and psychosocial challenges that remain poorly documented in the literature, particularly from the child's own perspective.
Objectives:
This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of children undergoing peritoneal dialysis, with a view to informing family-centred nursing care and improving psychosocial support for this vulnerable population.
Design:
A descriptive phenomenological design was employed, using semi-structured individual interviews for data collection. Data were analysed using Colaizzi's seven-step descriptive phenomenological method.
Participants:
Ten children aged over 7 years with a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease who had been receiving peritoneal dialysis for at least 1 year were recruited through purposive sampling from a tertiary paediatric nephrology unit in southern Turkey between August 2024 and March 2025.
Approach:
Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews lasting approximately 30 min and were audio-recorded with the consent of both children and parents. Transcripts were analysed independently by two researchers using MAXQDA 22 software.
Findings:
Five overarching themes were identified: emotional responses to peritoneal dialysis, physical burden of peritoneal dialysis, disruption to social and school life, family relationships, and coping and social support. Children most frequently reported fear, sadness and stress alongside physical symptoms, including abdominal pain, nausea and sleep disturbances. Social isolation, school absenteeism and disruption to peer relationships were also prominent.
Conclusions:
Children undergoing peritoneal dialysis experience significant emotional, physical and psychosocial burdens. Family-centred nursing care, routine psychological screening, proactive school liaison and structured peer support are essential to improve outcomes for this population.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Peritoneal Dialysis I: Introduction and Procedure
01:25Peritoneal Dialysis II: Peritoneal Dialysis Systems and Complications
01:25Peritoneal Dialysis III: Nursing Management
01:25Hemodialysis I: Introduction
01:30Extracorporeal Removal of Drugs: Peritoneal Dialysis and Hemodialysis
01:27Dialysis
Acute kidney injury develops suddenly and can be caused by pre-renal causes (e.g., hypovolemia, shock), intrinsic renal causes (e.g., acute tubular necrosis), or post-renal causes (e.g., urinary obstruction). In contrast, chronic renal failure progresses gradually over time and is often...