Abstract
Objective: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the leading reason for adenotonsillectomy in children. We aimed to evaluate polysomnographic characteristics of OSA in children under 3 years of age and, in a subset of these children who had pre- and postoperative sleep studies, potential persistence of OSA after adenotonsillectomy.
Method: We performed a retrospective chart review of children.
Results: A total of 283 children underwent a preoperative polysomnogram, and 70 had both pre- and postoperative polysomnograms. Their average age was 20.3 + 0.8 months. Adenotonsillectomy resulted in a significant reduction in apnea hypopnea index (AHI) from 34.8 + 4.8 to 5.7 + 1.6 events/hr (p + 1% to 89 + 0.8%) (p1 and 21% had an AHI>5). The only predictor of persistent OSA was the preoperative AHI, which was higher for the group with residual OSA (55+50) compared to the group without it (29 + 36) (P = .02).
Conclusion: Adenotonsillectomy results in a significant improvement in OSA in children.
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