Diagnostic and therapeutic iter in paediatric OSAS: personal experience

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Otolaryngology
• Sleep Medicine
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) in children presents with upper airway obstruction during sleep, frequently associated with adenotonsillar hypertrophy.
• Diagnosis relies on clinical evaluation and instrumental methods like pulse oximetry or polysomnography.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency of OSAS in children with suspected symptoms.
• To evaluate the impact of adenotonsillectomy on OSAS.
• To assess the risk of post-operative complications following adenotonsillectomy.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 481 children (aged 2-14 years) with suspected OSAS were assessed.
• ENT evaluation and 4-channel cardiopulmonary monitoring via pulse oximetry were performed.
• Patients with positive findings underwent adenotonsillectomy, followed by a 6-month post-operative pulse oximetry check.

Main Results:

• 19% of patients showed pathological monitoring results, with 17% at increased post-operative risk.
• Adenotonsillectomy was performed in 86% of positive cases; 96% showed negative results on follow-up pulse oximetry.
• Pulse oximetry proved effective in guiding appropriate and safe surgical indications for adenotonsillectomy.

Conclusions:

• Adenotonsillectomy demonstrated a high success rate (96%) for treating pediatric OSAS.
• Pulse oximetry is a valuable tool for accurate diagnosis and management of OSAS in children.
• The study observed no post-surgery complications, even in high-risk patients.