title: Treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea using nasal CPAP in children with craniofacial dysostoses.
abstract: We studied a group of children (aged 2.2-15 years) with craniofacial dysostosis and obstructive sleep apnoea to assess the use of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (n-CPAP) as a palliative form of treatment. A variable period of time was allowed for acclimatisation to n-CPAP (1 day to 2 months), depending on the patient. Patients were then admitted for their first CPAP trial. Baseline breathing difficulty and the effectiveness of n-CPAP were assessed by respiratory sleep studies. Successful results were obtained with n-CPAP in five of the eight patients, with marked clinical and polygraphic improvements of the respiratory pattern immediately after n-CPAP was established. Of the remaining three cases, one child needed a prolonged period of acclimatisation to the n-CPAP system, one was withdrawn from the study, and one failed to respond to n-CPAP and was found to have complete blockage of the upper airways as a result of enlarged adenoids. Our results confirm that n-CPAP can be tolerated even by young patients and can be effective, and that it may be a useful alternative palliative treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea in children with craniofacial syndromes.
authors.affiliation: Portex Anaesthesia, Intensive Therapy and Respiratory Medicine Unit, Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gonsalez
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hayward
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lane
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003394:Craniofacial Dysostosis / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010166:Palliative Care; D017286:Polysomnography; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen