Abordaje del duelo y de la muerte en familiares de pacientes con COVID-19: revisión narrativa

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review was to synthesize the possible evidence to establish recommendations on the approach of mourning and death in relatives of COVID-19 patients, as well as offering substitute resources for the necessary rituals and procedures in order to build up functional griefs and prevent complicated bereavements. METHOD: A bibliographic research was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCIENCEDIRECT, WOS, CINAHL and CUIDEN databases, using MeSH terms, (family, patient, isolation hospitals, grief, death, ceremonial behavior, self-care, affects and social networks) with its corresponding boolean equation. The selected articles have been published in a critical reading through the Critical Assessment Skills Program in Spanish (CASPe). RESULTS: A total of 560 articles were initially found, after applying the selection criteria, 13 studies were included in the analysis, of which 8 were systematic reviews, 3 qualitative studies, 1 cross-sectional prospective pilot study and 1 clinical guide, which allowed identifying strategies for the approach grief and death attending to this moment of exceptionality covid19, influencing the competence management of health professionals in emotional support and accompaniment as well as the monitoring throughout the process, as well as in the communication with the family. CONCLUSION: In the final process of life in COVID-19's time, health professionals must work farewells, alternative funeral rites, spiritual care and early coping that will allow the prevention of complicated grief.