Feasibility of split night polysomnography in children to diagnose and treat sleep related breathing disorders

Publication Name

Sleep Medicine

Abstract

Study objectives: The gold standard test for diagnosis of sleep related breathing disorders (SRBD) in children is diagnostic polysomnography (PSG). This is often followed by a titration PSG to identify optimal non-invasive ventilation (NIV) pressures. Access to pediatric PSG is limited, resulting in delays to diagnosis and initiation of treatment. Split-night PSGs (snPSG) combine a diagnostic and titration PSG into a single night study. Although described in adults, the pediatric literature on this topic is sparse. The objective of this study was to describe a large cohort of children who utilized snPSG to diagnose SRBD and initiate NIV. Methods: This multi-center study analyzed clinical and PSG data from children with SRBD who had initiated NIV following a snPSG. Data from diagnostic and titration portions of the snPSG were analyzed separately. Results: The study included 165 children who initiated NIV following a snPSG. The majority of children (61.8%) were initiated on NIV for upper airway obstruction. The population included children with medical complexity, including those with central nervous system disorders (17.0%), musculoskeletal/neuromuscular disorders (12.1%), and cardiac disorders (1.2%). Moderate to severe SRBD was present in 87.2% of children with a median apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of 16.6 events/hour (IQR: 8.2, 38.2). The median AHI was reduced on treatment to 7.6 events/hour (IQR: 3.3, 17.1), with fewer subjects meeting criteria for severe SRBD. Conclusions: snPSG is technically feasible in children, facilitating the diagnosis of SRBD and initiation of NIV, even in those with high medical complexity.

Open Access Status

This publication may be available as open access

Volume

96

First Page

107

Last Page

112

Funding Sponsor

Women and Children's Health Research Institute

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Link to publisher version (DOI)

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2022.05.011