ABSTRACT
Objective:
To analyze the factors associated with non-adherence to the outpatient follow-up of infants discharged from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Method:
A cross-sectional study that included 596 children who were discharged between October 1, 2014 and September 30, 2015 and who were referred to outpatient follow-up. The data were collected by evaluating the discharge report and attendance to the consultations.
Results:
Of the 596 children referred for follow-up, 118 (19.80%) did not attend any outpatient care in the 12 months after discharge. Children with gestational age at birth ≥37 weeks (odds ratio 1.97, p=0.013), who were not resuscitated at birth (odds ratio 1.79, p=0.032) and those without continuous use of medications at home (odds ratio 1.69, p=0.046) were more likely to not adhere to outpatient follow-up.
Conclusion:
The expressive number of non-adherence to follow-up indicates the need for actions to ensure care continuity to newborns at risk after hospital discharge. Although the differences pointed out cannot be defined as predictors of non-follow-up, evidence of these variables allows us to recognize risks and seek to reduce factors that influence abandoning follow-up care.
DESCRIPTORS:
Infant, Low Birth Weight; Infant, Premature; Ambulatory Care; Continuity of Patient Care; Neonatology; Neonatal Nursing