Chronic diseases in children and adolescents: a review of the literature

The scope of this article is to analyze papers published between 2003 and 2011 that focus on discussions regarding chronic conditions or chronic diseases in children and adolescents. It combines a methodological review of the literature and thematic analysis of content in order to identify the elements that characterize chronic diseases in children and adolescents and the specificities generated by these chronic conditions. The review of the literature resulted in a description of the series of articles identified by year of publication, country of origin, type of study, population and the chronic condition addressed. Thematic content analysis generated two core themes: Definition of chronic disease and Ways of handling chronic disease in children and teenagers. The main conclusion reached is that the age transitions when a disease is diagnosed and treated since childhood involve transformations that include changes in health facilities, discharge processes, decision making and networking that include family, hospital, school and institutions that guarantee the child's rights.