PSYCHOSOCIAL REPERCUSSIONS OF THE USE OF EXTERNAL FIXATORS IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS

Abstract

This study aims to: Understand the psychosocial repercussions of the use of external fixators in car accident victims. This is a descriptive and qualitative study, carried out with 14 patients monitored at the trauma-orthopedics outpatient clinic of a public hospital, through semi-structured interviews. In evaluating the data, we opted for content analysis, cross-sectional thematic modality. From the codification of the testimonies, it was possible to construct three thematic categories to deepen the theme, namely: feelings experienced by patients with external fixators; experimentation in the adaptive process to the external fixator and expectations related to the proposed treatment. In this way, it was possible to perceive that the person with external fixation sometimes experiences conflicting moments, as they are deprived of freedom, dependent, unable to provide for their own livelihood, immersed in pain, tortured by feelings of uselessness, doubts and despair, probability of living with consequences, in addition to the irreparable marks they bring with them.