[Cardiorespiratory monitoring in hospital and at home]

Apnoea become a medical problem when associated with a symptomatology cohort characterized by skin colour modifications, muscular tone modifications and consciousness. This syndrome named ALTE, from the acronym Apparent Life Threatening Event, well describes the near death sensation in the witnesses. Only 60% of this events may be revealed in his etiopathogenesis, also even a strong diagnostic protocol is applied; the remaining part, called idiopathic represent a open doubt and stressing factor for the physicians. ALTE may be analyzed in his rising and resolving ways, throughout a complete and accurate report of the history and throughout his association with other several symptoms eventually associated, able to leading at diagnosis. The child must be investigated about his metabolic status near the crisis, particularly for each disease life threatening as cardiac arrhythmias, electrolytes alterations and hide or beginning infections. The use of instruments for domestic surveillance is based on old observations, denied by a lot of studies, there is an high relation between ALTE and SIDS. Really the monitoring has different rules in the management of child with ALTE: it is a useful tool to evaluate in continuous child's life parameters in order to be able to make a quick intervention in case of life threatening alterations for child. It also represents a diagnostic and prognostic way because it allows to evaluate respiratory and cardiac patterns and their modifications time related. There are some side effects as anxiety elicited in parents, cause of high frequency in false alarms. This allows the need of a strict relation between a SIDS Center and the family in order to increase the parents compliance.