SURFACTANT REPLACEMENT THERAPY - A NEW RISK FACTOR IN DEVELOPING RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY

We documented the prevalence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in a group of 46 infants suffering from a moderate or severe respiratory di stress syndrome and treated with surfactant replacement therapy (SRT) and 61 controls admitted in the year prior to the institution of SRT. Mortality in the treatment group was lower than in the control group ( 15.5% versus 23.8; P = 0.29). The ROP prevalence in the treatment grou p was 47.8% and in the control group 27.9%. To analyse the contributio n of SRT alone to the prevalence of ROP, multivariate analysis using l ogistic regression technique was used. The odds ratio for SRT was 5.2 with a 95% confidence interval of 1.3-20.7, P = 0.02. The prevalence o f severe ROP in the surfactant treated group was not increased compare d to the control group. From our data we conclude that SRT increases t he risk of developing ROP but is not associated with more severe forms of ROP.