Sue Butler

Our level III NICU (50 intensive beds and 18 convalescent beds) screens all babies 30 weeks or less and 1500 grams or less per AAP policy statement (Pediatrics, 2006). We begin screening infants born at 27 weeks (GA) or greater at 4 weeks of age. Infants less than 27 weeks receive thier first eye exam at 31 weeks post conception. The infants are then followed every 1-3 weeks depending on the stage ROP found on the previous exam. Infants who are > 30 weeks or > 1500 grams are screened if the neonatalogist feels the infant is at high risk for developing ROP. We do about 25 laser treatments every year on infants with severe ROP. That number is growing each year due to the decreasing GA of premature infant survivors. We have had only a few infants who were born at 24 weeks or less who did not develop severe ROP and receive laser. Reference: Section of Ophthalmology, American Academy of Pediatrics American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Screening Examination of Premature Infants for Retinopathy of Prematurity. Pediatrics volume 117, Number 2, February 2006. (An Erratum was published a few months after the policy statement was published decreasing the screening age from 32 to 30 weeks). We are planning on using the Retinal Camera to document ROP in infants who develop stage III or greater ROP. An RN will be trained to use the camera to take the images. Does anyone use the retinal camera now and if so are RN's using it? We have had a camera for 8 or 9 years and it takes good images of the eye. Our retinal specialist has used the camera in the past to send images to a Pediatric ophthalmologist for consultation and to document pre & post laser images. Here is the information on the Camera we use: Ret Cam. Massie Research Labatories, Inc. 6761 Sierra Court Suite E Dublin, Ca 94568 Phone # 925-560-2465 The only number I could find on the camera is IP 68. I don't know if this is a model number or not. I found the number on the foot pedal of the camera.