SOCIAL SUPPORT OF ELDERLY PEOPLE IN SURGERY: BIBLIOGRAPHIC REVIEW

Abstract

This is a documental study that has as an objective: To conduct a review of the literature oriented toward the question: “How have elderly patients submitted to surgeries been studied in regards to social support?” and to identify the scientific publications on social support in Brazilian and international journals. The search was carried out in May 2007, and the criteria for inclusion were: Only subjects 60-years old or older submitted to any surgical procedure; Publications in Portuguese, Spanish and English: full texts and abstracts available on-line. Forty-eight abstracts were selected and 15 (31.3%) of full texts were accessed. An increase in the number of publications from 2000 onward was observed, reaching 46.6% in 2006. The category physicians (psychiatrists) published 46% of the studies; the United States was the country in which most articles originated, with 31%, and the countries with most publications were Britain and the U.S., with 42% each; 65% of the studies are descriptive; the majority have a cross section approach (58%). Although there has been an increase in the number of publications in the past years, it is necessary for health services to incorporate the paradigm of the new International Classification of Functionality, Incapacity and Health (CIF), established by the World Health Organization (WHO).