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INTRODUCTION: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a disorder characterized by partial or total airway obstruction during sleep. Studies have shown variability in the level of knowledge and awareness about OSAS among pediatricians. The management of childhood obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) depends on the severity of the disease, the presence of comorbidities, and the child's age. The American Pediatric Academy recommends a multidisciplinary approach involving a pediatrician, a sleep specialist, and an otolaryngologist to provide comprehensive care for children with OSAS. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to evaluate the level of knowledge among pediatricians in Italy regarding the diagnosis of pediatric OSAS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An anonymized survey was conducted among Italian pediatricians. The survey was administered electronically using Google Forms, and a total of 350 pediatricians were invited to participate. Out of the 350 invitations, 299 pediatricians responded to the survey. The statistical analysis performed consisted of descriptive analysis. The study included 297 pediatricians. RESULTS: Pediatricians demonstrated proficiency in identifying common nocturnal and day symptoms of OSAS. A majority (68.9%) considered the oral and otorhinolaryngologist areas during checkups. Approximately 70.6% took patient weight into account, and 62.8% were aware of the regional diagnostic-therapeutic-assistance pathway. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of this manuscript, there is evidence of a good level of knowledge about OSAS, but disseminating more information about OSAS and all the health issues associated with this syndrome is suggested. This study also has limitations caused by the complexity of the pathology.
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Introduction: Reliable and valid assessment tools are needed to evaluate and predict physical function in older hospitalized patients. The aim of this study is to develop the Italian version of the Elderly Mobility Scale (I-EMS) and to evaluate its validity and inter-rater reliability for use with geriatric inpatients. Methods: The study consists of two phases: (i) translation, where EMS version 2 was translated into Italian by two teams, each comprising 2 bilingual physiotherapists; translations were back translated by 2 native English speakers, and a committee of 2 physiotherapists and 1 physician refined the initial I-EMS version, which was pilot-tested for clarity in a group of ten experienced geriatric physiotherapists; (ii) an observational study assessed I-EMS metrics (reliability, validity) in older Italian inpatients at IRCCS INRCA (Ancona, Italy) between September 2022 and April 2023. Results: No statistically significant differences were found between the scores of individual items and the total score assigned by different raters. The ICC for total I-EMS was 0.951, SEM was 1.10 and MDC95 was 3.06. The absolute agreement and weighted kappa for individual items ranged 80.32-100% and 8.2-1, respectively. The validity of I-EMS was supported by a significant (p < 0.05) correlation with the Barthel Index (r = 0.827 and 0.834 for the I-EMS administered by rater A and rater B, respectively). Conclusion: I-EMS showed good internal consistency and inter-rater reliability, and confirmed construct validity with respect to BI. Therefore, it can safely be used as an assessment tool for hospitalized Italian geriatric patients. Clinical trial registration: [ClinicalTrials.gov], [NCT05806242].
