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Pulmonary Function after Adenotonsillectomy
Insights
Adenotonsillectomy improved pulmonary function in children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy. However, the study found no link between these lung function improvements and snoring severity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Otolaryngology
- Surgical Outcomes
Background:
- Adenotonsillar hypertrophy is a common pediatric condition potentially causing significant health issues.
- While its consequences are known, the specific impact on pulmonary function post-treatment requires further evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess changes in pulmonary function tests (spirometry) in children following adenotonsillectomy.
- To investigate the correlation between clinical parameters (snoring severity) and spirometric results before and after surgery.
Main Methods:
- A before-and-after clinical trial involving 40 children (mean age 6.9 years) diagnosed with adenotonsillar hypertrophy.
- Evaluation of eight spirometric parameters and symptom scores pre- and post-operatively (40 days after surgery).
Main Results:
- Significant improvements were observed in Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Peak Expiratory Flow, and Mid-Expiratory Forced Expiratory Flow (FEF25-75).
- Maximal Expiratory Flow at 25% of FVC (MEF25) also showed significant improvement post-surgery.
- No significant correlation was found between the changes in spirometric parameters and the severity of snoring.
Conclusions:
- Adenotonsillectomy positively impacts pulmonary function in children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy.
- Spirometry can be a valuable tool for assessing pulmonary status in these patients, despite the lack of correlation with snoring severity.
Introduction:
Adenotonsillar hypertrophy is a common disorder among children which, without proper treatment, may lead to considerable problems. Although the consequences of this disorder have been studied in other articles, we decided to evaluate the changes in pulmonary function tests in these children after adenotonsillectomy, and the correlation between clinical and spirometric parameters.
Materials And Methods:
We conducted a before- and after- clinical trial. Forty children (17 females and 23 males) with a diagnosis of upper airway obstruction due to adenotonsillar hypertrophy were enrolled in this study. Mean age of the participants was 6.9±1.9 years. Eight spirometric parameters were selected for evaluation pre-operatively and 40 days postoperatively. Besides, symptom scores were defined for each patient to assess their disease severity, pre- and postoperatively. Data were analyzed statistically.
Results:
Forced vital capacity (FVC) increased from 1.28±0.26% pre-operatively to 1.33±0.24%postoperatively (P=0.05). Peak expiratory flow increased from 2.74±0.65% pre-operatively to 2.84±0.51% postoperatively (P=0.02) and mid expiratory forced expiratory flow (FEF25-75) was 1.81±0.48% pre-operatively, increasing to 1.91±0.50% postoperatively (P=0.02). Maximal expiratory flow at 25% of FVC (MEF25) increased from 1.09±0.36% pre-operatively to 1.21±0.34% postoperatively (P=0.02). There was no correlation among the other spirometric parameters (FEV1, FEV1/FVC, MEF50 and MEF75) pre- and post-operatively (P>0.05). Despite some improvements in pulmonary function indices, there was no correlation between changes in spirometric parameters and severity of the snoring (P>0.05).
Conclusion:
Although our findings reveal that adenotonsillectomy had a positive effect on pulmonary function tests, we found no significant correlation between alterations in spirometric parameters and severity of snoring. However, performing a spirometric examination in children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy may be beneficial for assessing the pulmonary status of the affected patient.
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