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Published on: December 6, 2016
Detection of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: history or anatomical findings?
Kun-Tai Kang1, Wen-Chin Weng2, Chia-Hsuan Lee3
1Department of Otolaryngology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Otolaryngology, Taipei Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
Insights
Combining anatomical and historical findings significantly improves the detection of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Integrating both history and physical exam elements offers a more effective screening approach for childhood OSA.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
- Otolaryngology
- Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) diagnosis relies on various clinical factors.
- Differentiating the diagnostic utility of historical versus anatomical findings is crucial for effective screening.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the diagnostic accuracy of historical findings, anatomical findings, and a combined model for pediatric OSA.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of different models in identifying children with OSA.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 222 children (aged 2-18 years) underwent assessment of anatomical (tonsil/adenoid size, obesity) and historical (symptoms) factors.
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) diagnosis was confirmed by polysomnography.
- Diagnostic models were evaluated using discrimination (C-index) and reclassification metrics.
Main Results:
- The combined model demonstrated superior diagnostic performance (C-index=0.84) compared to anatomical (0.78) and historical (0.72) models alone.
- The combined model significantly improved reclassification of subjects (10.3%–21.9%) compared to individual models.
- All models showed adequate fit, with the combined model offering the greatest incremental utility.
Conclusions:
- Integrated assessment of anatomical and historical findings provides enhanced diagnostic value for pediatric OSA.
- A screening strategy incorporating both history and anatomical evaluation is recommended for improved detection of childhood OSA.
Objective:
To assess how history and/or anatomical findings differ in diagnosing pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Methods:
Children aged 2-18 years were recruited and assessed for anatomical (ie, tonsil size, adenoid size, and obesity) and historical findings (ie, symptoms) using a standard sheet. History and anatomical findings, as well as those measures significantly correlated with OSA, were identified to establish the historical, anatomical, and the combined model. OSA was diagnosed by polysomnography. The effectiveness of those models in detecting OSA was analyzed by model fit, discrimination (C-index), calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow test), and reclassification properties.
Results:
A total of 222 children were enrolled. The anatomical model included tonsil hypertrophy, adenoid hypertrophy, and obesity, whereas the historical model included snoring frequency, snoring duration, awakening, and breathing pause. The C-index was 0.84 for the combined model, which significantly differed from that in the anatomical (0.78, p = 0.003) and historical models (0.72, p < 0.001). The Hosmer-Lemeshow test revealed an adequate fit for all of the models. Additionally, the combined model more accurately reclassified 10.3% (p = 0.044) and 21.9% (p = 0.003) of all of the subjects than either the anatomical or historical model. Internal validation of the combined model by the bootstrapping method showed a fair model performance.
Conclusion:
Overall performance of combined anatomical and historical findings offers incremental utility in detecting OSA. Results of this study suggest integrating both history and anatomical findings for a screening scheme of pediatric OSA.
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