Clinical assessment of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea

Pediatrics. 2004 Jul;114(1):33-43. doi: 10.1542/peds.114.1.33.

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether children with a clinical assessment suggestive of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) but with negative polysomnography (PSG) have improvement in their clinical assessment score after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T&A) as compared with similar children who do not undergo surgery.

Methods: In a prospective, randomized, investigator-blinded, controlled trial, 59 otherwise healthy children (mean age: 6.3 years [3.0]; 31 boys, 28 girls) with a clinical diagnosis of OSA (clinical assessment score 40) were recruited from the pediatric otolaryngology and pediatric pulmonary private offices and clinics of a tertiary care, academic medical center. A standardized assessment was performed on all patients, including history, physical examination, voice recording, tape recording of breathing during sleep, lateral neck radiograph, echocardiogram, and PSG. A clinical assessment score was assigned. Children with positive PSG (n = 27) were scheduled for T&A, whereas children with negative PSG (n = 29) were randomized to T&A (n = 15) or no surgery (n = 14). Children were reassessed in an identical manner at a planned 6-month follow-up.

Results: Follow-up was available for 21 patients with positive PSG, 11 patients with negative PSG randomized to T&A, and 9 nonsurgery patients. In the randomized subjects, the median reduction in clinical assessment score was 49 (range: 32-61) for the T&A patients as compared with 8 (range: -9 to 29) for the nonsurgery patients. Nine (82%) of the T&A patients were asymptomatic (clinical assessment score <20) compared with 2 (22%) of the nonsurgery patients.

Conclusion: Children with a positive clinical assessment of OSA but negative PSG have significant improvement after T&A as compared with observation alone, thus validating the clinician's role in diagnosing upper airway obstruction.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adenoidectomy*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Observer Variation
  • Polysomnography
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Prospective Studies
  • ROC Curve
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Single-Blind Method
  • Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / diagnosis
  • Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / surgery*
  • Tonsillectomy*