Clinical Predictors of Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome

Abstract

Objectives:

Identify standard clinical parameters that may predict the presence and the severity of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).

Methods:

Eighty-eight pediatric patients with habitual snoring who underwent a physical examination and full-night polysomnography were included in this study. Severity of nasal obstruction (NO) and mouth breathing, modified Mallampati grade (aka updated Friedman’s tongue position), tonsil size, and the body mass index (BMI) z-score in the study population were recorded.

Results:

When physical parameters were correlated singly with the apnea/hypopnea index (AHI), we found that gender, severity of snoring, NO, and mouth breathing status were reliable predictors of pediatric OSAHS. When all important factors were considered in a multiple stepwise regression analysis, a significant correlation with pediatric OSAHS emerged by factoring the snoring VAS, NO, and BMI z-score (Pediatric AHI = 0.108 + 0.103 Snoring VAS + 0.894 NO + 0.207 BMI z-score).

Conclusions:

This study has identified those findings that predict OSAHS. There is a positive correlation between snoring VAS, NO, and BMI z-score with levels of severity of OSAHS. The study can also help identify pediatric patients with habitual snoring who should be further evaluated for the presence of OSAHS.