Introduction: This article assesses one of the objectives of a larger study about home peritoneal dialysis (PD) in children/adolescents with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Method: Descriptive study carried out on 30 children/adolescents with CKD cared for at the Hospital das Clínicas of the UFMG from March 2004 to May 2006. A questionnaire was applied to their caregivers about the reactions and difficulties experienced by those patients and their families during dialysis programs.
Results: Their major complaints related to the limitations caused by dialysis to the patients'; and caregivers'; lives and to peritoneal dialysis itself.
Conclusion: Knowledge about the reality experienced by children/adolescents with CKD and their families can promote actions and measures to improve the quality of life of all involved and consequently contribute to the success of the dialysis technique.