MEDICAL CARE IN THE EMERGENCY SERVICE FOR WOMEN VICTIM OF VIOLENCE (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Violence against women is a public health issue and must be addressed in an interdisciplinary way. Medical care in the emergency service can be one of the first gateways to care for women who are victims of violence. However, the lack of preparation of health professionals can hamper care and even reinforce the cycle of violence. The general objective of this work is to analyze the importance of medical care in the emergency service in the context of women victims of violence, addressing the main guidelines and challenges faced by health professionals in this scenario, identifying the importance of medical care in the emergency service in these cases. This is a narrative literature review, carried out based on scientific articles indexed in the Scielo, PubMed and Lilacs databases. Articles published in Portuguese, English and Spanish were selected, with the descriptors "medical care", "emergency service" and "violence against women". Studies indicate that many health professionals are still not prepared to deal with violence against women, presenting difficulties in diagnosis, notification and appropriate referral. Furthermore, stigma and lack of sensitivity regarding the issue can reinforce the cycle of violence. However, good practices were also identified, such as the training of health professionals, the creation of care protocols and coordination with other care network services, and adequate care for their recovery. It was concluded that medical care in the emergency service can be an opportunity to care for women who are victims of violence, but it is necessary to guarantee the training of health professionals and coordination with other care network services.