Related Experiment Videos
Retinopathy of prematurity: incidence and severity in Hawaii
J H Drouilhet1, S Pelke, D Sroat
1Department of Surgery, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, Honolulu, HI 96826.
Insights
Improved survival for premature infants has not increased retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). This review found ROP incidence stable, though it remains a concern for very low birth-weight infants requiring intensive care.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Intensive Care
- Ophthalmology
- Perinatal Medicine
Background:
- Improved survival rates for low birth-weight infants, especially with exogenous surfactant therapy.
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a serious long-term complication in premature infants.
- Need to assess ROP incidence alongside improved survival in intensive care settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) increased from 1989 to 1991.
- To evaluate the impact of improved intensive care and surfactant therapy on ROP rates.
- To assess ROP severity and treatment outcomes in very low birth-weight infants.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of infants born between 1989 and 1991 at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children.
- Analysis of ROP incidence and severity in infants weighing <= 1000 grams.
- Evaluation of cryosurgery outcomes for threshold ROP.
Main Results:
- Threshold ROP occurred exclusively in infants weighing <= 1000 grams.
- Seventy-four infants had ROP; 16 eyes (9 infants) reached threshold ROP.
- Exogenous surfactant therapy showed no significant effect on ROP incidence or severity.
- Cryosurgery was performed on 14 eyes; 6 retained useful vision, 8 did not.
Conclusions:
- ROP incidence did not increase during the review period.
- ROP remains a significant concern for high-risk premature infants in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit.
- Exogenous surfactant therapy did not impact ROP rates in this cohort.
Abstract:
Because survival of low birth-weight infants requiring intensive care has improved recently, particularly since the advent of exogenous surfactant therapy, we reviewed our experience at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children (KMCWC) from 1989 to 1991 to determine if the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a serious long-term complication, had also increased. During this 3-year period, threshold disease, the ROP stage in which cryosurgery is recommended, occurred only in infants < or = 1000 grams. Seventy-four infants < or = 1000 grams were diagnosed with ROP of any stage. Sixteen eyes (9 infants) reached threshold; 14 were treated with cryosurgery. Six of these eyes have useful vision on follow up; 8 do not. Exogenous surfactant therapy had no significant effect on ROP incidence or severity in our series. Although ROP incidence did not increase during this review period, it remains a serious problem in high-risk premature infants in our Newborn Intensive Care Unit.