Sleep clinical record in children with sleep disordered breathing

Abstract

Background: The sleep clinical record (SCR) is a rapid and valid method for detect children with OSAS. The aim of our study was to evaluate if there were differences in SCR depending on age.

Methods: We enrolled children who referred to our pediatric sleep centre from September 2013 to January 2015. All patients underwent SCR, Polysomnography (PSG) and nocturnal oximetry.

Results: We studied 351children (mean age 5,7 ± 2,8 years, male 235, PSG data: AHI 7,1± 9,2 ev/h, mean SpO2 97,0± 4,9%). The SCR mean value was 8,4± 2,3 (310 children with an SCR > 6,5). We divided the children into 2 groups depending on age, group 1 (234 pre-school children <6 years, mean age 4,0 ±1,1 years,155 male) and group 2 (117 school children, mean age 8,9± 2,3 years, 80 male) and we founded statistical significant differences in prevalence of obesity (BMI cent >95°, group 1: 15% vs group 2: 40%, p=0,001), in SCR values (group 1: 8,6±2,2 vs group 2: 8,0 ± 2,5, p=0,03), oxygen desaturation index (ODI, group 1: 6,5±3,9 vs group 2: 4,8 ± 3,3, p=0,001) and in some SCR parameters in term of alar cartilage hypotonia (group 1: 35% vs group 2: 23%, p=0,03), lip orbicular muscles hypotonia (group 1: 33% vs group 2: 22%, p=0,04), saddle nose (group 1: 33% vs group 2: 14%, p=0,001), nasal obstruction (group 1: 77% vs group 2: 57%, p=0,001), and severe tonsillar hypertrophy (group 1: 73% vs group 2: 33%, p=0,001).

Conclusions: The SCR score is higher in children under 6 years of age and our study confirm that pre-school children had more structural orofacial alterations and severe tonsillar hypertrophy than school children who presented more obesity as a risk factor of OSAS.