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Published on: December 6, 2016
Obstructive sleep apnoea adenotonsillectomy in children: when to refer to a centre with a paediatric intensive care
E J S M Blenke1, A R Anderson, Hemal Raja
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The General Infirmary at Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Insights
There is no clear regional consensus on referring children with obstructive sleep apnoea for adenotonsillectomy to the paediatric intensive care unit. Clinical judgment is sufficient for identifying high-risk patients needing intensive care.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Pediatric Critical Care
Background:
- Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common condition in children.
- Adenotonsillectomy is a primary surgical treatment for pediatric OSA.
- Referral patterns to pediatric intensive care units (PICU) for OSA surgery vary.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate regional referral patterns for pediatric adenotonsillectomy for OSA.
- To establish guidelines for PICU referral and admission for these cases.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire was distributed to ENT consultants in surrounding hospitals.
- A prospective observational study of high-risk OSA patients undergoing adenotonsillectomy was conducted.
- Patients with uncomplicated OSA and no comorbidities were excluded.
Main Results:
- Only 15 out of 20 ENT consultants responded to the questionnaire.
- Referral criteria varied, with no consistent approach identified.
- Of 49 high-risk patients, only 12 required PICU admission; none were emergencies.
- No otherwise healthy children with uncomplicated OSA required PICU admission.
Conclusions:
- No regional consensus exists for PICU referral for OSA adenotonsillectomy.
- Clinical judgment by experienced surgeons is adequate for identifying complex OSA cases requiring PICU.
- Guidelines for PICU referral are needed to standardize care.
Objective:
To identify regional surgical referral patterns for adenotonsillectomy in children with obstructive sleep apnoea to our tertiary centre with paediatric intensive care unit facilities and to establish guidelines for elective paediatric intensive care unit referral and admission.
Methods:
Two methods were used. A questionnaire was sent to ENT consultants in five surrounding hospitals with no in-house paediatric intensive care facilities. The second was a prospective observational study undertaken in our tertiary centre for a sub-set of patients undergoing obstructive sleep apnoea adenotonsillectomy between January 2002 and February 2005. These children were considered high risk as judged clinically by an ENT surgeon. Most had obstructive sleep apnoea and a co-morbidity. Otherwise healthy children with simple obstructive sleep apnoea were excluded.
Results:
15 out of 20 consultants responded to the questionnaire. Four referred on the grounds of clinical history, five referred based on pulse oximetry, nine referred syndromal children and four did not refer electively. Of the 49 high risk patients operated on, only 12 required paediatric intensive care admission with no emergency paediatric intensive care admissions. No otherwise healthy children with uncomplicated obstructive sleep apnoea symptoms required paediatric intensive care admission during the study period.
Conclusion:
There was no regional consensus regarding paediatric intensive care unit referral for obstructive sleep apnoea adenotonsillectomy. Clinical judgement without complex sleep studies by those experienced in this area was sufficient to detect complicated cases of obstructive sleep apnoea with co-morbidity requiring paediatric intensive care.
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