Differences in overnight polysomnography scores using the adult and pediatric criteria for respiratory events in adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
There was no consensus in the 2007 American Academy of Sleep Medicine scoring manual on whether pediatric or adult respiratory criteria should be used in adolescents due to lack of data. Our objective was to compare pediatric and adult criteria in adolescents referred for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We hypothesized that pediatric criteria would capture more respiratory events than adult criteria.


METHODS
Retrospective cross-sectional analysis.


METHODS
Clinical sleep laboratory.


METHODS
101 subjects aged 13-18 years clinically referred for OSA.


METHODS
Overnight polysomnogram. Data were scored using both adult and pediatric AASM criteria. For adult criteria, data were scored using both AASM hypopnea rule A, defined by > or = 4% desaturation, and B, defined by > or = 3% desaturation or arousal.


RESULTS
Median (range) apnea hypopnea index (AHI) by pediatric criteria was 1.7 events/hour (0-42.9). AHI using rule A was 0.4 (0-35.6); rule B, 1.4 (0-38.4). A higher pediatric AHI was associated with greater differences between pediatric and adult AHI using either rule A or B. There was no significant discordance in OSA classification comparing pediatric and adult criteria rule B (P = 0.3), but there was a significant rate of discordance classification comparing pediatric and adult criteria rule A(P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Either pediatric or adult criteria rule B can be used in adolescents as few subjects change diagnostic category between these 2 criteria. Use of adult rule A results in fewer children meeting criteria for OSA. Further research into the clinical relevance of the scoring metric in adolescents is warranted.
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Sleep Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Jennifer A
JA
Accardo
Justine
J
Shults
Mary B
MB
Leonard
Joel
J
Traylor
Carole L
CL
Marcus
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012119:Respiration; D056152:Respiratory Rate; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*
D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen