Cristina M. Baldassari

Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea and quality of life: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: 1) To assess the quality of life (QOL) in children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) compared with QOL of children with chronic medical conditions, and 2) To determine QOL in children with OSA after adenotonsillectomy in short- and long-term follow-up. DATA SOURCES/REVIEW METHODS: A literature review on QOL in pediatric OSA using the PubMed database. RESULTS: The literature search yielded 10 articles that satisfied inclusion and exclusion criteria. In three studies, the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) survey was used to compare 193 patients who had OSA with 93 children who had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and with 815 healthy children. Of 12 CHQ subscale scores for children with OSA, 8 scores were significantly lower (indicating a poorer QOL) than controls. Children with OSA scored 19.23 points lower than healthy children in the subscale of parental impact-emotional. Children with OSA had QOL scores that were similar to those of children with JRA. In seven publications, 369 children with OSA undergoing adenotonsillectomy were studied by using the OSA-18 QOL instrument. The total OSA-18 score and each of the domain scores showed significant improvement (P < 0.0001) after adenotonsillectomy. At long-term follow-up, QOL scores remained significantly improved. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric OSA has a significant impact on QOL. QOL in pediatric OSA is similar to that of children with JRA. Large improvements in QOL occur after adenotonsillectomy, and these findings are maintained in the long-term. The literature lacks control studies on QOL in pediatric OSA.

Receptive language outcomes in children after cochlear implantation.

OBJECTIVES The objectives of the present study were (1) to assess receptive language scores in children after cochlear implantation and compare them with scores in normal hearing children and children with hearing loss that use hearing aids and (2) to determine how demographic factors, such as age of implantation, impact language outcomes. STUDY DESIGN Case series. SUBJECTS/METHODS Receptive language scores in children with profound prelingual hearing loss who received cochlear implants between 1996 and 2004 were analyzed. RESULTS Standardized language assessments were available for 36 children. The average age at implantation was 33 months. The mean language scores for implanted children were within 1 standard deviation of scores of normal hearing individuals. Children with cochlear implants had significantly higher subtest scores (P < 0.05) than children with hearing aids. Children with additional disabilities had significantly (P < 0.05) poorer language performance. CONCLUSIONS Pediatric cochlear implant recipients acquire receptive language skills that approach those of their hearing peers and exceed those of children with hearing aids.

Complications in Pediatric Deep Neck Space Abscesses

Objectives. To determine the incidence and demographic profile of children who develop complications from deep neck space abscess. Study Design. Case series. Setting. Tertiary children’s hospital. Subjects and Methods. One hundred thirty-eight patients admitted for deep neck space abscesses between 1998 and 2008. Inclusion criteria were age younger than 18 years and computed tomography scan demonstrating an abscess in the retropharyngeal, parapharyngeal, or peritonsillar spaces. Children were diagnosed with abscess if purulence was encountered on operative incision and drainage. Results. In the first 5 years of the study, 45 children met the inclusion criteria, whereas in the latter 5 years, 93 children were treated for abscesses. There were no differences between these cohorts in terms of age (P = .70), gender (P = .08), abscess site (P = .23), or rate of surgical intervention (P = .83). The total major complication rate was 9.4% (n = 13) with mediastinitis being the most frequent (n = 9) complication. The number of complications between the first (n = 3) and second (n = 10) groups was not significantly different (P = .55). The factors that predisposed patients to develop complications were younger age at presentation and retropharyngeal abscess location. Children with complications were more likely to have Staphylococcus aureus identified as the causative organism (P = .007). Only 1 of 4 children with methicillin-resistant S aureus had a complicated clinical course. Conclusions. Deep neck space abscesses continue to cause significant morbidity in children. Factors that predict complications include young age, retropharyngeal location, and S aureus. Providers must maintain a high index of suspicion to promptly diagnose and treat these complications.

Adenotonsillectomy vs Observation for Management of Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children

Objective To determine the impact of adenotonsillectomy vs observation on quality of life (QOL) in children with mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Study Design Prospective, nonrandomized trial. Setting Tertiary children’s hospital. Subjects and Methods Sixty-four children (ages 3-16 years) with mild OSA (apnea hypopnea index between 1 and 5 on polysomnogram) completed the study. Caregivers chose between management options of adenotonsillectomy and observation and completed validated QOL instruments (OSA-18 and Children’s Health Questionnaire) at baseline, early, and late follow-ups. The primary outcome measure was QOL. Results Thirty patients chose adenotonsillectomy, while 34 were observed. Total OSA-18 scores at baseline were significantly poorer (P = .01) in the surgery group (72.3) compared with the observation group (58.5). Four months following surgery, OSA-18 scores improved by 39.1 points over baseline (P = .0001), while there was no change for the observation group (P = .69). After 8 months, OSA-18 scores remained improved in the surgery group, and observation group scores improved by 13.4 points over baseline (P = .005). While OSA-18 scores at the late follow-up visit were poorer in the observation group, the difference was not statistically significant (P = .05). Six observation patients opted for adenotonsillectomy during the study. Conclusion Quality of life significantly improves in children with mild OSA after adenotonsillectomy. In children with mild OSA who are observed, QOL improvements at early follow-up are less pronounced, but significant improvements in QOL are evident after 8 months. QOL instruments may be useful tools to help providers determine which children with mild OSA may benefit from early intervention.

Use of Laryngeal Mask Airway in Pediatric Adenotonsillectomy

OBJECTIVE To compare the use of flexible laryngeal mask airway (LMA) and endotracheal tube (ETT) in pediatric adenotonsillectomy. DESIGN Prospective randomized trial. SETTING Tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS One hundred thirty-one children (aged 2-12 years). Exclusion criteria were body mass index (calculated as the weight in kilograms divided by the height in meters squared) greater than 35 and craniofacial anomalies. Obstructive sleep apnea was the most common indication for surgery. INTERVENTION Children undergoing adenotonsillectomy were randomized to use of an LMA or ETT. A standardized anesthesia protocol was used. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcome measure was laryngospasm. Secondary measures included anesthesia, operative, and recovery times. RESULTS Sixty children were randomized to the LMA group and 71 to the ETT group. There was no difference between groups with regard to age (P = .76), ethnicity (P = .75), body mass index (P = .99), or American Society of Anesthesiologists grade (P = .46). Incidence of postoperative laryngospasm between LMA (12.5%) and ETT (9.6%) was similar (P = .77). In 10 patients, the LMA was changed to ETT intraoperatively owing to tube kinking or difficulty with visualization. Mean (SD) surgical times for LMA and ETT groups were 33.35 (13.39) and 37.76 (18.26) minutes, respectively (P = .15). Time from surgery end to extubation was significantly shorter in patients who used LMA (P = .01) by 4.06 minutes. There were no differences (P = .49) in postanesthesia care unit recovery times. CONCLUSIONS An LMA is an efficient alternative to ETT in pediatric adenotonsillectomy. When comparing LMA and ETT, there is no difference in rates of laryngospasm. Time to extubation is significantly shorter in patients using LMA. Before adopting the routine use of LMA in pediatric adenotonsillectomy, further study is needed to address visualization and kinking issues associated with this device.

Changes in Central Apnea Index following Pediatric Adenotonsillectomy

Objectives. To determine if there are changes in the central apnea index (CAI) when pediatric patients undergo adenotonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Study Design. Case series with chart review. Setting. Two tertiary children’s hospitals. Subjects and Methods. Children between 1 and 16 years of age who underwent adenotonsillectomy for OSA and had both preoperative and postoperative full-night polysomnography (PSG) with CAI greater than 1 on preoperative PSG were eligible for inclusion. Central apnea was defined as the absence of both inspiratory effort and chest wall movement lasting longer than 20 seconds. Criteria for diagnosis of central sleep apnea (CSA) was CAI greater than 1. Results. A total of 101 children with OSA had preoperative and postoperative PSG. Fifteen of these patients had a preoperative CAI greater than 1. The mean age was 67.7 months (SD, 62.7 months). The CAI ranged from 1.1 to 11.1. The mean preoperative CAI was 3.9 (SD, 2.9), while the mean postoperative CAI was 1.9 (SD, 4.8). There was significant improvement (P = .008) of the CAI following adenotonsillectomy. Ninety percent of subjects with mild CSA (CAI between 1 and 5) had postoperative resolution of their disease. There was also significant improvement (P = .004) in the obstructive apnea hypopnea index (AHI), with the mean preoperative AHI of 22.8 (SD, 19.8) decreasing to an AHI of 5.5 (SD, 6.5) postoperatively. Conclusions. Children with OSA and mild CSA on preoperative PSG showed significant improvement in CAI following adenotonsillectomy. Future studies are needed to determine the clinical significance of CSA in children with OSA and to identify treatment strategies.

Diagnosis and management of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis.

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Assessing adenoid hypertrophy in children: X-ray or nasal endoscopy?

BACKGROUND Upper airway obstruction is a common complaint in children presenting to otolaryngology clinics. In such children, adenoid hypertrophy is often suspected. There are numerous ways to determine adenoid size, including palpation, mirror examination, endoscopic examination, lateral neck roentgenogram (X-ray), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and acoustic rhinometry. Pediatric patient cooperation limits the utilization of palpation and mirror examination, while acoustic rhinometry and MRI are not practical in the clinical setting. Thus, flexible fiberoptic nasal endoscopy (FNE) and lateral neck X-ray are the two most common diagnostic tools used to assess for adenoid hypertrophy. Cost-effective, age-specific guidelines on how best to evaluate adenoid size are lacking. The aim of this review is to determine whether X-ray or endoscopy is superior in assessing adenoid hypertrophy in pediatric patients presenting with upper airway obstruction.

Systematic Review of Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy Scoring Systems

Objective To systematically review the scoring systems used to report findings during drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) for adults and children with obstructive sleep apnea. Data Sources PubMed, CINAHL, EBM Reviews, Embase, and Scopus databases. Review Methods This is a systematic review of all indexed years of publications referring to scoring of DISE for children and adults with obstructive sleep apnea. The type of DISE scoring system utilized was the primary outcome. PRISMA guidelines were followed to carry out this review; articles were independently reviewed by 2 investigators. All pediatric and adult studies that utilized ≥1 DISE grading systems were included. Results Of 492 identified abstracts, 44 articles (combined population, N = 5784) were ultimately included; 6 reported on children, 35 on adults, and 1 on children and adults. Twenty-one reporting methods were used in these studies, with the most common being the VOTE system (velum, oropharynx, tongue base, and epiglottis; 38.6%) and the Pringle and Croft classification (15.9%). The sites of obstruction most commonly included in a scoring system were the tongue base (62%), lateral pharynx/oropharynx (57%), palate (57%), epiglottis/supraglottis (38%), and hypopharynx (38%). Less commonly included sites were the larynx (29%), velum (23%), nose (23%), tongue (14%), adenoids (10%), and nasopharynx (10%). Conclusion There is no consensus regarding which scoring system should be utilized to report findings during DISE. The VOTE system and the Pringle and Croft classification were the most frequent scoring systems reported for patients undergoing DISE. Standardization of the reporting of DISE findings would improve comparability among studies.

Is MRI Necessary in the Evaluation of Pediatric Central Sleep Apnea

Objectives (1) To determine the prevalence of central nervous system (CNS) pathology identified on head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in children with central sleep apnea (CSA); (2) to assess the yield of MRI in evaluation of CSA; and (3) to identify factors that predict CNS pathology in children with CSA. Study Design Case series with chart review. Setting Tertiary children’s hospital. Subjects and Methods A chart review was conducted over 12 years. Patients 6 months to 18 years of age who underwent head MRI for evaluation of CSA were included. CSA was diagnosed on polysomnogram as central apnea index >1. Results Forty children were included in the CSA group. Twenty-two patients were male, and the mean age was 60 ± 41.5 months. The mean central apnea index was 3.8 ± 1.9, while the mean obstructive apnea hypopnea index was 3.4 (interquartile range, 0.7-3.8). Eighteen percent (7 of 40) of children with CSA had evidence of CNS pathology on MRI, with the most common finding (n = 3) being arachnoid cyst. Children with CSA who had gastroesophageal reflux disease or abnormal neurologic examinations were more likely to have CNS pathology. Other factors, such as prematurity, did not improve the yield of MRI in children with CSA. Conclusions While routine evaluation of children with elevated central apnea index by MRI is not indicated, providers should consider neuroimaging in children with CSA and abnormal neurologic examination findings or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Further research is necessary to identify other tests with improved diagnostic yield for evaluation of pediatric CSA.