LACK OF ASSOCIATION OF GLUCOCORTICOID THERAPY AND RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY

Objective: To determine if glucocorticoid therapy alters the severity of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) Design: Retrospective survey. Sett ing: Tertiary intensive care nursery. Patients: One hundred forty-seve n surviving infants with birth weight of 1.25 kg or less born July 199 0 through January 1993. Outcome Measures: Maximum stage of retinopathy and the need for cryosurgery. Results: Using logistic regression, nei ther corticosteroid exposure nor total corticosteroid dose was associa ted with either ROP greater than stage 2 or cryosurgery. The significa nt predictors of ROP greater than stage 2 were birth weight and the du ration of supplemental oxygen therapy. The only significant risk facto r for cryosurgery was gestational age. Conclusions: No association bet ween corticosteroid therapy and the severity of ROP was found after co ntrolling for traditional risk factors such as birth weight, gestation al age, and duration of supplemental oxygen therapy.