Is oximetry an effective screening tool for obstructive sleep apnoea in children with Down syndrome?

摘要

Screening for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), which is recognised to be present in 30%-60% of children with Down syndrome (DS) compared with 0.6%-2% of the general population, is controversial. Untreated, OSA can lead to complications such as pulmonary hypertension, behavioural problems and failure to thrive. However, the best screening tool remains debatable. Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) guidelines1 recommend screening children with DS with overnight oximetry and referring those with abnormal results for polysom-nography. However, in our experience, oximetry remains insufficiently sensitive to detect the majority of cases.