title: Polysomnographic evaluation of non-invasive ventilation in children with neuromuscular disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the last 20 years, research efforts have been focused on the use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) as a mean of avoiding tracheostomy in patients affected by neuromuscular diseases (NMD). Nocturnal NIV has been a particular focus as sleep is a risk factor for respiratory failure in NMD patients. The objective of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of nocturnal NIV in improving the respiratory function of NMD patients evaluated by polysomnography (PSG) and arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten children affected by NMD underwent PSG and ABG analysis evaluation at the onset of their respiratory failure and during nocturnal NIV therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a statistically significant improvement of the lowest oxygen desaturation (nadir SaO2 ), apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI) after NIV treatment in all patients. Mean SaO2 also improved, although this result was not statistical significant, while the percentage of episodes of desaturation with a SaO2 <90% and <80% decreased with a statistical significance (P < 0.0001). After NIV, only one patient showed an episode of desaturation lasting more than 5 min (10.6 min length), and we also found an improvement of daytime blood gas parameters with a normalization of these indexes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NIV was effective in improving respiratory parameters at night in patients affected by respiratory muscular weakness, as evaluated by PSG and ABG analysis.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Operative Unit, Emergency Room, Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele Hospital, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Falsaperla
authors.forename: Anette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wenzel
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pavone
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Mauro
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vitaliti
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D063087:Noninvasive Ventilation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012143:Respiratory Physiological Phenomena; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: blood gas analysis; childhood polysomnography; evaluation; neuromuscular disease; non-invasive ventilation efficacy