title: The effect of oxygen saturation targeting on retinal blood vessel growth using retinal image data from the BOOST-II UK Trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a disorder of developing retinal blood vessels in preterm infants. The purpose of this nested study was to investigate the effects of higher (91-95%) and lower (85-89%) oxygen saturation (SpO2) targeting on retinal blood vessel growth in preterm infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retinal blood vessel growth in the higher (91-95%) and lower (85-89%) oxygen saturation (SpO2) targeting groups was compared. Suitable RetCam (Clarity, Pleasanton, CA, USA) images collected in the BOOST-II UK trial were used. The distances between the centre of the optic disc and the ROP ridge in the temporal and nasal retina were measured in pixel units.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Images from 38 infants were studied, 20 from the higher SpO2 target group and 18 from the lower SpO2 target group. On average, temporal blood vessels extended further from the optic disc than nasal blood vessels, mean (standard deviation (SD)) 463.39 (55.05) pixels compared with 360.13 (44.47) pixels, respectively, P<0.0001. Temporal blood vessels extended less far from the optic disc in the higher SpO2 target group than in the lower SpO2 target group: mean (SD) 449.83 (56.16) pixels compared with 480.02 (49.94), respectively, P=0.055. Nasal retinal blood vessel measurements were broadly similar in the higher and lower SpO2 target groups; mean (SD) 353.96 (41.95) compared with 370.00 (48.82) pixels, respectively, P=0.38.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Relatively high oxygen saturation targeting (91-95%) was associated with a trend (P=0.055) towards reduced retinal blood vessel growth in this study of preterm infants.
authors.affiliation: Academic Foundation Programme Trainee, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: R B R
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Moreton
authors.affiliation: Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Fleck
authors.affiliation: Department of Optometry and Visual Science, City University, London, UK.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Fielder
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Bristol Eye Hospital, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Birmingham and Midland Eye Hospital, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: www.visionresearch.org, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cocker
authors.affiliation: BOOST-II UK Collaborative Group, National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Juszczak
authors.affiliation: BOOST-II UK Collaborative Group, National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: King
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stenson
authors.affiliation: Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK.|National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brocklehurst
mesh_terms: D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D010092:Oximetry; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; D015861:Retinal Neovascularization / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen