title: Comparison of oxygen desaturation patterns in children and adults with sleep-disordered breathing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although the number of apnea-hypopnea episodes per hour apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) is typically used to evaluate sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in adults, it does not provide an accurate characterization of SDB in children. We investigated differences in SDB patterns in children and adults to evaluate SDB severity in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen adults (mean age, 45.3 ± 8.4 years) and 15 children (mean age, 6.7 ± 3.9 years) with adenotonsillar hypertrophy underwent standard polysomnography. The change of oxygen saturation (ΔSpO2) was defined as the difference between baseline SpO₂ during stable nighttime breathing and the lowest SpO₂ accompanied by an apnea-hypopnea event. The number of apnea-hypopnea episodes was determined using two different criteria to define an episode (criterion 1: cessation of airflow for at least 10s; criterion 2: cessation of airflow for at least two consecutive breaths).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean ΔSpO₂ accompanied by obstructive apneas lasting ≤10 s was significantly greater in children than in adults, although there was no significant difference in the duration of apnea-hypopnea episodes. The slope of the regression line between ΔSpO₂ and apnea-hypopnea duration in children was greater than in adults (P<0.005). AHI in children was higher when calculated using criterion 2 compared to criterion 1 (10.9 ± 9.4 vs. 6.5 ± 4.9/h, P=0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ΔSpO₂ is a good indicator of SDB severity in children, and should therefore be considered in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric SDB along with AHI.
authors: Department of Pathophysiological Laboratory Sciences, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors: Yuki
authors: Y
authors: Hara
authors: Akiko
authors: A
authors: Noda
authors: Seiko
authors: S
authors: Miyata
authors: Hironao
authors: H
authors: Otake
authors: Yoshinari
authors: Y
authors: Yasuda
authors: Masato
authors: M
authors: Okuda
authors: Yasuo
authors: Y
authors: Koike
authors: Seiichi
authors: S
authors: Nakata
authors: Tsutomu
authors: T
authors: Nakashima
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*; D017286:Polysomnography; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen