Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in Örebro : a 10-yearperspective

• Main Author: Abedi, Natasha
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Örebro universitet, Institutionen för medicinska vetenskaper 2020
• Subjects: Medical and Health Sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-86364

Background: The survival rate of premature infants has increased in Sweden over the pastdecade. Preterm infants run the risk of developing a potentially blinding disease known asretinopathy of prematurity (ROP). A recent Swedish national study showed that the frequencyof ROP has increased over the past years and there are regional differences across the country. Aim: Our aim was to evaluate the frequency of ROP in Örebro region (Örebro) and comparewith the rest of Sweden over a 10-year period. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on all premature infants born beforegestational week 31, screened for ROP in Örebro, from 2008 to 2017. Data such as number ofinfants, birth weight (BW), gestational age (GA) and ROP-outcome was retrieved from anational quality register; SWEDROP. Comparisons were made with national data during thesame time-period. Results:The study included 200 infants with a median GA of 28.4 weeks and BW 1144 grams.Of the screened infants 99 (49.5%) developed ROP and 20 (10%) were treated during the studyperiod. During the study period, mild ROP decreased (p=0.024), severe ROP increased(p=0.032), however there was no change in ROP-treated infants (p=0.159). The percentage ofROP-treated infants was higher in Örebro than the rest of Sweden (p=0.024). Conclusion: Our study showed that the frequency of mild ROP decreased in Örebro whilstsevere ROP increased during the 10-year period. The frequency of infants treated for ROP wassignificantly higher in Örebro compared to the rest of Sweden.