Outcome of adenotonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnea in obese and normal-weight children.
OBJECTIVE
1) To evaluate the relative severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in obese and normal-weight children; 2) to compare changes in respiratory parameters after adenotonsillectomy in obese and normal-weight children.


METHODS
Prospective controlled trial that included children aged 3 to 18 years. All study participants underwent pre- and postoperative polysomnography.


RESULTS
The study population included 33 obese children and 39 normal-weight controls. Preoperatively, the median obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 23.4 (range 3.7-135.1) for obese and 17.1 (range 3.9-36.5) for controls (P < 0.001). Postoperatively, the AHI was 3.1 (range 0-33.1) for obese and 1.9 (range 0.1-7.0) for controls (P < 0.01). Twenty-five obese children (76%) and 11 controls (28%) had persistent OSA.


CONCLUSIONS
AHI scores are higher in obese than in normal-weight children with OSA. Both groups show a dramatic improvement in AHI after adenotonsillectomy, but persistent OSA is more common in obese children.
Mitchell
Ron B
RB
Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63104, USA. rmitch11@slu.edu
Kelly
James
J
D000233:Adenoidectomy; D000293:Adolescent; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004564:Electrocoagulation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D050177:Overweight / Q000502:physiology; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D017286:Polysomnography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery*; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology; D013851:Thinness / Q000503:physiopathology; D014068:Tonsillectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D010100:Oxygen