Paper Contents
Abstract
IntroductionRetinopathy of prematurity (ROP) has become one of the most common causes of preventable visual impairment in children worldwide. Effective screening, and compliance to the screening protocol is crucial to ensure timely management of this potentially blinding disease. The aims of this study were to evaluate the compliance of our centre to the local ROP protocol as well as to review the demographics and identify alternative risk factors involved in development of severe ROP.Methods5-year retrospective review of infants with severe ROP requiring treatment in Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital, a tertiary referral centre in northern Malaysia. Medical records of all premature infants screened for ROP were cross referenced with the surgical registry for identification of infants who received treatment. Information including gestational age, birth weight and timing of treatment given were recorded and analysed.ResultsBetween 2017 and 2021, 322 premature infants were screened and 26 (8.1%) infants were diagnosed with severe ROP which required treatment. Of these 26 infants, 77% underwent timely screening, and 74% received treatment within the recommended timeline. A new possible risk factor identified for development of severe ROP was a diagnosis of maternal COVID-19, though this is subject to further study.ConclusionThe rate of timely screening and treatment provision of >70% suggests that the screening compliance at our centre is comparable to centres in developed countries. This indicates good adherence to the guidelines and a fairly low rate of delayed screening or treatment.Key Words.Retinopathy of prematurity, screening, protocol, demographics, risk factors
Copyright
Copyright © 2023 Athirah Aminudin. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
