title: Adenotonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnoea in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Current treatment of sleep apnoea in children consists of largely surgical based treatments. Adenotonsillectomy is the most commonly used intervention to treat sleep apnoea in children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the efficacy of adenotonsillectomy in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Cochrane Airways group specialised register was searched with pre-specified terms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomised trials recruiting children with a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 196 references were identified from electronic searching. Twenty studies were retrieved and none met the inclusion criteria of the review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Due to the absence of randomised trial data, no results could be ascertained.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At present there is still debate as to the polysomnographic criteria required to diagnose significant obstructive sleep apnoea in children. Also the natural history of the condition has not been fully delineated. There is an absence of randomised controlled trials investigating the efficacy of treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea with adenotonsillectomy in children and, therefore, further research is required before recommendations for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea in children can be formulated.
authors.affiliation: Ear, Nose and Throat department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, London, UK, WC1N 3JH. jeromelim@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McKean
mesh_terms: D000233:Adenoidectomy; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000601:surgery*; D014068:Tonsillectomy