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Candida sepsis and association with retinopathy of prematurity
M Mittal1, R Dhanireddy, R D Higgins
1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia 20007, USA.
Objective:
To assess the association of Candida sepsis with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in extremely low birth weight infants.
Methods:
We prospectively identified 253 infants admitted to the Critical Care Nursery at Georgetown University Hospital with birth weights
Results:
The mean birth weight (+/-SD) of the population studied was 777 g (+/-136 g), and the mean gestational age at birth was 26.0 weeks (+/-1.8 weeks). The overall incidence of ROP was 74%, and it correlated significantly with birth weight, gestational age, days on supplemental oxygen, and 5-minute Apgar scores. The incidence of ROP was significantly higher in the infants who had Candida sepsis (21/22 [95%]) compared with those who did not (77/111 [69%]). Using logistic regression to control for the influence of birth weight, gestational age, days on supplemental oxygen, and 5-minute Apgar scores, Candida sepsis was an independent predictor of stage 3 or worse ROP. In addition, 9 (41%) of 22 infants with Candida sepsis required laser surgery compared with 10 (9%) of 111 infants without Candida sepsis. This difference was significant independent of birth weight, gestational age, days on supplemental oxygen, and 5-minute Apgar scores.
Conclusions:
Candida sepsis is independently associated with increased severity of ROP and the need for laser surgery in extremely low birth weight infants.