Association of Oxygen Therapy Concentration and Duration with Retinopathy of Prematurity Incidence at Naresuan University Hospital

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the association between the concentration and duration of oxygen therapy and the development and severity of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Additionally, it sought to examine the incidence of ROP at Naresuan University Hospital. Materials and Methods: A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted, utilizing data from the medical records of infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Naresuan University Hospital, Phitsanulok, Thailand, from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2022. The duration of various oxygen therapies was recorded in hours, and the concentration of oxygen administered per hour was calculated as the average fraction of inspired oxygen for each infant. These data were subsequently analyzed using STATA version 11.0. Results: Out of 100 eligible infants, 27 (27%) were diagnosed with ROP at different severity levels: 17 infants (62.96%) with ROP stage 1, 9 infants (33.33%) with stage 2, and 1 infant (3.70%) with stage 3. There were no cases of Stage 4 or 5 ROP. The adjusted risk ratio revealed that infants receiving an average FiO2 of 0.3 or higher had a 1.64 times greater risk of developing ROP [95%CI 1.03-2.62], (P-value=0.038). Further analysis using mean difference regression showed a significant correlation between the duration of oxygen therapy and the severity of ROP. Conclusion: This study suggests that regulating oxygen therapy to not exceed an FiO2 of 0.3 and administering it strictly as needed may mitigate the risk of developing ROP and its severe manifestations.