The early treatment for ROP (ETROP) randomized trial: study results and nursing care adaptations.

The Early Treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ETROP) study, funded by the National Eye Institute, has shown that early treatment of high-risk prethreshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) improves retinal and visual outcomes at 9 months corrected age. These favorable study results have yielded new guidelines for treatment of infants with ROP This paper reviews the study methodology and results and outlines the neonatal and ophthalmic nursing interventions influenced by this new treatment schedule. Four critical phases, screening/examination, treatment, evaluation, and follow-up, are identified, and key nursing objectives and tasks are discussed.