Perception of parents and guardians on the use of canabidiol in children and adolescents with epilepsy

Abstract

Objective: To understand the perception of parents or guardians about the use of Cannabidiol in children and adolescents with epilepsy. Methods: This is exploratory, descriptive research with a qualitative approach, where the subjects were captured by the "snowball" strategy through WhatsApp and answered the interview through Google Forms through a semi-structured questionnaire. To evaluate the contents of the statements, a thematic analysis proposed by Bardin L (2011) was carried out. Results: 16 parents or guardians participated in the research. According to the interviewed subjects, Cannabidiol can act in cognitive and motor improvement and better social interaction, which provides an improvement in the quality of life. They also report some obstacles in the acquisition of the substance, such as high cost, difficulties in importing and lack of medical knowledge. Conclusion: It was possible to have the perception through the parents' report about the effective improvement through the use of Cannabidiol, but access to the drug is still an obstacle. It is extremely important that the professional nurse is updated in relation to the existing therapeutic possibilities to work with patients and the multidisciplinary team at the different levels of primary, secondary and tertiary care. Thus, studies with methodological rigor must be conducted to support the effectiveness of use, verify adverse effects, proving its safety.