Houston Area Pediatric Specialists

Independent pediatric specialists aim to serve our community. We want to share news and analysis regarding our specialties and our practices.


Sunday, May 16, 2010

Obstructive sleep disordered breathing in children: Beyond adenotonsillectomy

From Dr. Rotenberg - So what do you do for sleep apnea after tonsils and adenoids are not a problem anymore? The cure rate is only at best 75%, and lower in chidlren with unique heath issues or severe OSA. This is a great summary article of the options. I take care of many children on CPAP and when sucessful, its restores functionality.

Obstructive sleep disordered breathing in children: Beyond adenotonsillectomy
Jean-Paul Praud, MD, PhD 1 2 *, Dominique Dorion, MD, MSc 2

Abstract

Traditionally, adenotonsillectomy (AT) has long been the treatment of choice for obstructive sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in children. AT is usually considered a safe procedure, which cures 80% of children with SDB. Accumulated data have however challenged this overly simplistic view. Indeed, AT is invariably associated with significant morbidity, post-operative pain, and a mortality rate which, though low, cannot be ignored. In addition, aside from a recurrence of SDB at adolescence in an unknown percentage of cases, some recent results suggest that complete SDB cure is not achieved in as much as 75% of cases after AT. Interestingly, several treatment options have been recently proposed for replacing or complementing AT. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is now suggested in children with remaining SDB after AT; however, compliance and suitability of equipment remain important hurdles, especially in small children and infants. Anti-inflammatory treatments, including nasal glucocorticoids and/or the anti-leukotriene montelukast, appear to hold great promise. Finally, orthodontic treatments are an appealing option, with recent results in children suggesting that it is possible to improve or perhaps even cure SDB in a durable manner by enlarging the nasal passages and/or the oropharyngeal airspace. In conclusion, while we are currently in the midst of an exciting time with several new treatments being developed for childhood SDB, randomized controlled trials are urgently needed to delineate their indications. In the meantime, it appears that systematic detection of orthodontic anomalies and better collaboration with maxillofacial specialists, including orthodontists and/or dentists, is needed for deciding the best treatment options for childhood SDB.


http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121370140/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0


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