Majallah-i Dānishgāh-i ̒Ulūm-i Pizishkī-i Bābul (Mar 2023)

Investigating the Effect of Venous Oxygen Saturation Level and Partial Pressure of Oxygen on Retinopathy of Prematurity Improvement

  • M Haghshenas Mojaveri,
  • Z Akbarian Rad,
  • SA Rasoulinejad

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 25, no. 1
pp. 427 – 433

Abstract

Read online

Background and Objective: Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), as a retinal vasoproliferative disease, is affected by the incomplete development of the respiratory system of premature babies. Since premature babies suffering from ROP have a lower level of partial pressure of oxygen (PO2), the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of PO2 and venous oxygen saturation in treatment response of ROP patients. Methods: This retrospective cohort study (2010-2020) was conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit of Ayatollah Rouhani hospital in Babol among 502 premature babies (less than 34 weeks of pregnancy and with a birth weight of less than 2500 grams). ROP was diagnosed and determined by an ophthalmologist based on the ICROP index on the first day of birth. Data related to PO2 and venous oxygen saturation were collected from patients' files. After receiving standard treatment for ROP, patients were examined and compared in two groups of “completely cured” and “other patients” (including partial recovery, no change, and disease progression) in terms of the effect of PO2 and venous oxygen saturation on the decrease or increase in stage (I to IV) and zone (I, II, III). Findings: Of the 502 babies examined, 193 had stage I, 232 had stage II, 76 had stage III, 1 had stage IV, and 55 had zone I, 245 had zone II, and 202 had zone III involvement. The mean level of PO2 and oxygen saturation between the two groups of “completely cured” patients and “other patients” did not have a statistically significant difference. The mean level of PO2 and oxygen saturation between the three groups of patients with partial recovery, patients with no change and patients with disease progression did not show a statistically significant difference. Furthermore, the levels of PO2 and venous oxygen saturation were not related to the change of stage and zone in patients with ROP. Conclusion: The results of the study showed that lack of oxygen is effective in causing ROP and oxygen therapy has an effective role in the treatment of ROP patients, but the amount of oxygen at the beginning of ROP diagnosis is not related to the treatment process of ROP.

Keywords