Purpose: To describe the experiences of parents of children treated for corrosive esophageal ingestion.
Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 17 parents (nine mothers and eight fathers) of children who had suffered a corrosive esophageal ingestion requiring hospitalization. Online interviews were also conducted with parents of children who were still undergoing treatment for corrosive esophageal ingestion. The interview guide explored the parents' overall experiences and included research questions that explored the participants' perceptions, thoughts, feelings and problems. The interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive reflective thematic analysis was performed using MAXQDA.
Results: Analysis of the interview transcripts generated three themes and nine sub-themes describing parents' experiences: emotional consequences, social consequences and facilitators. The results reveal that caregivers experienced anxiety and difficulties, prompting them to seek support from their family and social environment.
Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of identifying and understanding parental experiences. This understanding will also enable healthcare professionals to optimize the parental experience in caring for children with corrosive esophageal ingestion within a holistic clinical service. Understanding the experiences of children with corrosive esophageal ingestion from the parents' perspective identifies opportunities for systematic treatment and care.
Keywords: Children; corrosive esophageal burn; corrosive ingestion substance; nursing; parents; qualitative study.
Corrosive esophageal ingestion in children is an injury that restricts and damages the quality of life for both children and their families.Due to the negative experiences of parents resulting from the gaps in treatment and care of corrosive esophageal ingestion, health professionals require training to deliver a holistic clinical service.The implementation of support group interventions is needed to address changes in the social and emotional consequences experienced by parents.