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Prevalence of voice disturbances in pediatric airway patients: Are we missing anything?

Anne Hseu1, Nohamin Ayele1, Natasha Dombrowski1

  • 1Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Otolaryngology & Communication Enhancement, 300 Longwood Avenue, LO-367, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.

International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
|December 25, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Voice disturbances are common in pediatric airway patients, with nearly half experiencing issues. Many children with breathing or swallowing problems also have undiagnosed voice problems requiring attention.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Otolaryngology
  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

  • Airway disorders in children often present with primary respiratory or swallowing issues.
  • The prevalence and impact of voice disturbances in this population are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the frequency of voice disturbances in pediatric patients evaluated for airway disorders.
  • To assess the impact of voice problems using the pediatric voice health handicap index (pVHI).

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 146 pediatric patients with airway disorders was studied.
  • The pediatric voice health handicap index (pVHI) questionnaire was administered to families.
  • Laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy were performed for clinical evaluation.

Main Results:

  • Nearly half of the patients (45.9%) had abnormal pVHI scores (> 4).
  • Hoarseness was initially reported by only 6.2% of patients.
  • Patients with tracheostomy history had significantly higher pVHI scores.

Conclusions:

  • Voice disturbances are prevalent in pediatric airway patients, often co-occurring with breathing and swallowing issues.
  • Dysphonia may be an underrecognized problem in this cohort, necessitating further evaluation and management.
Abstract

Keywords:
LaryngologyPediatric AirwayVoice

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