Does candidemia predict threshold retinopathy of prematurity in extremely low birth weight (=1000 g) neonates?
GROUND: Extreme prematurity is a risk factor for both candidemia and threshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and may confound the reported association between these conditions. OBJECTIVE: To determine if candidemia is an independent risk factor for threshold ROP. METHODS: A cohort study was conducted of infants weighing =1000 g at birth using a prospectively maintained neonatal database. The study included infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at =3 days of age between January 1, 1993 and December 31, 1997. We excluded infants not screened for ROP because they died, were discharged, or transferred. Threshold ROP (ie, requiring ablative therapy within 72 hours of diagnosis) was defined by the criteria of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Ophthalmology ROP subcommittee. Candidemia was defined as Candida species growth from at least 1 blood culture. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to determine independent risk factors for threshold ROP. RESUL