Retinopathy of Prematurity among Preterm Newborn Admitted to the Neonatal Care Unit in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Introduction: World Health Organization has identified retinopathy of prematurity as an important cause of preventable childhood blindness. The presentation of retinopathy of prematurity is varied and differs in the developed and developing worlds. The study aimed to find out the prevalence of retinopathy of prematurity among preterm newborn admitted to the Neonatal Care Unit in a tertiary care centre. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among preterm newborn admitted to the Neonatal Care Unit after receiving ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: IEC/MGMEI/I/2021/66). The study was conducted from 15 December 2021 to 17 February 2022. Basic demographic data, risk factors, clinical characteristics, and prevalence of retinopathy of prematurity were noted. Convenience sampling was done. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Results: Among 204 participants, retinopathy of prematurity was found in 118 (57.84%) (51.06-64.62, 95% Confidence Interval) in at least one eye. Early treatment retinopathy of prematurity type 2 in 82 (69.49%) was the commonest one severity-wise. Supplemental oxygen was given to 118 (100%) cases, and low birth weight was present in 109 (92.37%) cases. Conclusions: The prevalence of retinopathy of prematurity was found to be higher in other similar studies done in similar settings. The screening and treatment for the retinopathy of prematurity require a dedicated trained team of ophthalmologists, vitreo-retina specialists, paediatricians, and neonatologists with well-developed facilities for retinopathy of prematurity clinics. Keywords: blood transfusion; low birth weight; oxygen; preterm births; retinopathy of prematurity.

Diabetic Retinopathy among Diabetic Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Introduction: The alarming rise in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus is a global public health and economic problem. Diabetic retinopathy is the most common ocular morbidity in the diabetic population and is the leading cause of blindness among the working-age group. This study was aimed to find out the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in diabetic patients attending to the department of ophthalmology of a tertiary care hospital. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Ophthalmology of a tertiary care hospital from 15th August to 30th November 2021. Ethical clearance was taken from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: CMC-IRC/078/079-021). Convenience sampling was done. Basic demographic data, risk factors, clinical characteristics, and prevalence of diabetic retinopathy were noted. Data entry was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26.0. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and percentage for binary data. Results: Among 540 participants, 146 (27.04%) (23.29-30.79 at 95% Confidence Interval) study subjects had diabetic retinopathy changes in at least one eye. Smoking in 88 (60.27%), type 2 diabetes mellitus in 139 (95.21%), hypertension in 85 (58.22%), raised glycated hemoglobin levels in 120 (82.19%) were the major factors observed in the study subjects. Conclusions: The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was higher in our study when compared to national studies. Keywords: biomarkers; body mass index; diabetes mellitus; diabetic retinopathy; visual acuity.