title: Sleep studies frequently lead to changes in respiratory support in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  International guidelines recommend that children who are managed at home with mechanical respiratory support (RS) should have sleep studies performed every 6-12 months. This recommendation is based on expert opinion, with little evidence to support it. No studies have been undertaken to examine the utility of sleep studies in children on RS.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of sleep studies performed over a 12-month period was undertaken at a New Zealand paediatric sleep medicine referral centre, to determine changes made to RS following sleep studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-one sleep studies were performed for assessment of RS in 45 children (27 boys; median age 8.3 years; range 0.4-18.6 years). Twenty-nine (64%) children were on continuous positive airway pressure, 14 (31%) on bi-level non-invasive ventilation, and two (4%) on tracheostomy ventilation. A change was made to RS settings after 66% of studies. No clinical parameters predicted which children would require a change in settings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although sleep studies are expensive and time-consuming, follow-up studies of children on RS provide important information for optimising management into the long term.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Eunicia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Gillian M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Nixon
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D017286:Polysomnography; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data