Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 5, 2026
Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
Published on: December 31, 2015
Retinopathy of prematurity screening: can the examination time be reduced?
Sabit Kimyon1, Alper Mete1, Sevim Ayça Seyyar1
1Gaziantep University Hospital Ophthalmology Department, Gaziantep, Turkey.
Insights
A new screening strategy for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) significantly reduces examination time. This approach aims to improve infant comfort and parental stress during ROP screenings.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatal care
- Medical screening
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of childhood blindness.
- Traditional ROP screening is uncomfortable for infants and stressful for parents.
- Improved screening methods can enhance adherence and reduce clinical workload.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a novel ROP screening strategy for accuracy and efficiency.
- To compare the proposed screening method with accepted ROP examination protocols.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective review of 57 ROP patients' files was conducted.
- A new screening protocol involves selective retinal evaluation in subsequent visits.
- Examination time was prospectively compared between the traditional and new methods.
Main Results:
- The new ROP screening strategy significantly reduced examination time from 241.3s to 172.3s (p < 0.001).
- Retinal examination findings in nasal and temporal regions were consistent, supporting the strategy's accuracy.
- No treatment decisions were compromised by the modified examination approach.
Conclusions:
- The proposed ROP screening strategy is effective and efficient.
- Shortened examination times may decrease infant pain and associated adverse events.
- This method offers a potentially better experience for families undergoing ROP screening.
Clinical Relevance:
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of childhood blindness. Screening examinations that maintain accuracy, while improving the experience for families, could increase adherence to follow-up and decrease workload.
Background:
Traditional ROP screening examinations are known to be uncomfortable for babies and stressful for parents. A new strategy is proposed and tested for the accuracy of the outcome and the time taken.
Methods:
In this new screening strategy, the examiner performs a complete retinal examination on the first visit. If the area and stage of the nasal and temporal retinal regions are similar or the stage of the temporal half is worse, only the posterior pole and temporal half of the retina are evaluated at subsequent visits. A retrospective patient file review was conducted to compare the new proposal with accepted methods. ROP examination time was compared prospectively.
Results:
The data of 57 consecutive patients treated for ROP were evaluated. The ROP zone was the same in the nasal and temporal retina in all eyes at the first and last visit before treatment. Only two eyes had worse ROP stage in the nasal half at presentation but both halves developed the same degree of stage during follow-up. None of the treatment decisions were based only on the nasal region of the retina. Examination time was evaluated in 40 eyes of 20 infants. The average total time required for an examination with the accepted method was 241.3 ± 112.5 seconds. However, with the proposed strategy, the examination time was significantly reduced to 172.3 ± 69.2 seconds (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
This screening strategy shortens examination time, which may help reduce pain and related adverse events.
