Awareness and Practice Patterns Among Pediatricians Regarding Retinopathy of Prematurity at Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal

Abstract

IntroductionRetinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a disorder of the developing retina of preterm infants dueto defective vasculogenesis that can lead to incurable blindness. It can be prevented by timelydetection and treatment. The study aimed to analyze the level of awareness, knowledge andpractice of Pediatricians regarding ROP in Bharatpur. MethodsThis was a quantitative, cross-sectional study using self-administered questionnaires to assess theawareness level among pediatricians at the main hospitals of Bharatpur City. A scoring system wasimplemented in the data analysis, depending on the correct chosen answers on the questionnaire.The ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee of NNJS (Reg. no. 15/2022). ResultsForty-three pediatricians from 11 hospitals in Bharatpur Metropolitan City filled out thequestionnaires. The mean age of the participants was 35.53 ± 9.09 years (25 to 68 years), majoritybeing male (N=28; 65.12%). More than half of the participants, 23 (53.49%) had a knowledge scoreof 10-15. The knowledge score was 0-5 and >20 in 6 (13.95%) and 2(4.65%) participants respectively.Men were significantly more knowledgeable about ROP than women (p = 0.02). ConclusionsThis study has projected the level of understanding about ROP among pediatricians in Bharatpur.Workshops and courses on ROP screening criteria and referral are recommended specificallyfor pediatric residents and pediatricians in the early stages of their careers. There should becoordination and good referral network between Pediatricians and Ophthalmologists.