[Retinopathy of prematurity: an analysis of risk factors].

In 29 infants with retinopathy of prematurity we retrospectively studied the influence of various clinical factors on the severity of the disease and compared this group of patients with controls without retinopathy. Infants presenting with different stages of retinopathy showed significant differences in gestational age, length of mechanical ventilation, additional supplemental oxygen, and the number of episodes of acidosis and hypocarbia. Compared with controls, hyperoxemia with paO2-levels above 100 mmHg and hypocarbia with pCO2-levels below 35 mmHg was more often observed in infants with retinopathy (p < 0.05, respectively p < 0.01). Besides, these infants were more often treated with surgical ligation of a patent ductus arteriosus than with indomethacin (p < 0.001). In our patients we were not able to assess the incidence and the severity of retinopathy of prematurity by calculation of risk scores or safety indices.