Saudi Arabian retinopathy of prematurity national telemedicine program: Achievements and challenges.

The Saudi Arabian Retinopathy of Prematurity National Telemedicine programme (SAROP) is a product of the National Committee for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). The program includes ROP telescreening, diagnosis, and management of cases requiring treatment. Digital retinal images and filled ROP software requests were uploaded from 20 level-3 neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital server and the ROP telemedicine website. The data were accessed and reported by qualified retinal and pediatric ophthalmologists. Currently, retinal wide-angle digital cameras are available in 20 of the 31 level-3 NICUs of the Ministry of Health, Kingdom of KSA. This telemedicine approach is practical and effective in detecting and managing ROP cases. In the first 2.5 years, encouraging results were noticed with no unfavorable outcomes in the participating NICUs. Technical challenges were resolved promptly to ensure that the program ran smoothly. Therefore, this ideal state-of-the-art ROP telemedicine program could be also applied to similar and neighboring countries.

Practical guidelines for screening and treatment of retinopathy of prematurity in Saudi Arabia.

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is one of the leading causes of bilateral blindness in childhood. Early detection and effective treatment can prevent blindness. Efficient and timely screening examination of the retina by an experienced ophthalmologist who deals with preterm neonates with ROP is the mainstay in the management of this disease. All neonatologists and pediatricians who care for these at-risk preterm neonates should also be aware of this timing. This practical guideline intends to provide guidance to ophthalmologists, neonatologists and allied health care professionals in Saudi Arabia on current indications for screening and management of retinopathy of prematurity to prevent or minimize subsequent complications. This practical guideline was led by the National Eye Health Program (NEHP) and Neonatology Services Improvement Program at Ministry of Health (MOH), furthermore it has been solicited and endorsed from both Saudi Ophthalmological Society (SOS) and Saudi Neonatology Society (SNS).

Guidelines for palivizumab prophylaxis in infants and young children at increased risk for respiratory syncytial virus infection in Saudi Arabia.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of serious seasonal lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in high-risk infants and children, with epidemics occurring annually in Saudi Arabia from October to March. Premature infants born at less than 29 weeks gestation with chronic lung disease or those with significant congenital heart disease who have RSV infection are more likely to be hospitalized and have increased morbidity and mortality. Palivizumab (Synagis®, Medimmune) is a humanized monoclonal antibody for the prevention of severe LRTI by RSV in high-risk children. The current use of Palivizumab in Saudi Arabia is not regulated and does not meet approved standards. This clinical practice policy statement was developed by the Ministry of Health and is supported by the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) in Saudi Arabia. It is based on available national and international data on the use of Palivizumab for the prevention of severe LRTI caused by RSV in high-risk pediatric patients. These guidelines were solicited and endorsed by two Saudi societies: The Neonatology and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Societies.