Clinical Application of Pediatric Sleep Endoscopy: An International Survey

Giannicola Iannella1, Giuseppe Magliulo1, Antonio Greco1

  • 1Department of Organi di Senso, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy.

PubMed

Insights

Drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) is a safe and effective tool for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children, especially after surgery. However, its clinical application varies significantly across sleep centers internationally.

Area of Science:

  • Otolaryngology
  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Diagnostic Procedures

Background:

  • Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common condition in children.
  • Drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) aids in identifying airway obstruction.
  • Standardization of pediatric DISE protocols is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To survey international experts on the clinical application of pediatric DISE.
  • To clarify the use, indications, and protocols for pediatric DISE.
  • To assess the perceived role of DISE in managing pediatric OSA.

Main Methods:

  • An international survey was developed by pediatric sleep apnea experts.
  • The survey targeted sleep apnea specialists and OSA association members.
  • 101 experts completed the survey, providing data on pediatric DISE practices.

Main Results:

  • 63.4% of experts perform DISE in pediatric OSA patients.
  • 81.9% consider DISE a first-line diagnostic step for persistent OSA post-adenotonsillectomy.
  • 55.4% disagree with performing DISE during adenotonsillectomy to identify other collapse sites.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric DISE is recognized as safe and effective for identifying obstruction sites in children with residual OSA.
  • DISE is valuable for children with craniofacial malformations, small tonsils, laryngomalacia, or Down syndrome.
  • Despite its utility, pediatric DISE is not uniformly adopted in sleep centers worldwide.
Abstract