Many patients have lapses in care after ranibizumab injections for PDR

Approximately half of the patients in a post hoc analysis of a randomized clinical trial had a long lapse in care 5 years after receiving ranibizumab injection for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

A long lapse in care was considered ≥8 weeks past a scheduled examination.

Of the 170 participants, 94 (55.3%) had ≥1 long lapse in care, with a median of 210 weeks to the first long lapse. Of those with lapses, 73.4% (69/94) returned for examination after the first long lapse.

By 5 years, 29.4% of all participants had dropped out of follow-up. Of those who completed the 5-year follow-up period, the median change from baseline in visual acuity was −2 letters for patients who had ≥1 long lapse compared with +5 letters for those without a long lapse.

The authors concluded that providers should consider the likelihood of lapses in care before considering treatment for PDR.

Reference
Maguire MG, Liu D, Bressler SB, et al. Lapses in Care Among Patients Assigned to Ranibizumab for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy: A Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Ophthalmol. Published online October 21, 2021. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2021.4103