Tonsillectomy for Obstructive Sleep-Disordered Breathing: Should They Stay, or Could They Go?

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Children who do not require oxygen beyond 3 hours after surgery and pass a sleep room air challenge (SRAC) are safe for discharge regardless of polysomnogram (PSG) results or comorbidities. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional prospective study. METHODS: All children observed overnight undergoing an adenotonsillectomy for obstructive sleep-disordered breathing were prospectively recruited. Demographic, clinical, and PSG characteristics were stratified by whether the patient had required oxygen beyond 3 hours postoperatively (prolonged oxygen requirement [POR]) and compared using t test, chi-squared test, or Fisher's exact test depending on distribution. Optimal cut points for predicting POR postsurgery were calculated using receiver operating characteristic curves. The primary analysis was performed on the full cohort via logistic regression using POR as the outcome. Significant characteristics were analyzed in a logistic regression model, with significance set at P < .05. RESULTS: A total of 484 participants met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 5.65 (standard deviation = 4.02) years. Overall, 365 (75%) did not have a POR or any other adverse respiratory event. In multivariable logistic regression, risk factors for POR were an asthma diagnosis (P < .001) and an awake SpO2 <96% (P = .005). The probability of a POR for those without asthma and a SpO2 ≥ 96% was 18% (95% confidence interval: 14-22). Age, obesity, and obstructive apnea/hypopnea index were not associated with POR. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, all children in our study who are off oxygen within 3 hours of surgery and passed a SRAC were safe for discharge from a respiratory standpoint regardless of age, obesity status, asthma diagnosis, and obstructive apnea/hypopnea index. Additional investigations are necessary to confirm our findings. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 132:1675-1681, 2022.

Parental Perception of Weight Status for Adenotonsillectomy Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Weight status can affect outcomes in pediatric adenotonsillectomy performed for obstructive sleep disordered breathing. Parents frequently underestimate their child's weight and are unaware weight status may affect adenotonsillectomy success. Accurate understanding of a child's weight status is important for shared decision making with the family and perioperative care. The purpose of this study is to analyze the accuracy of the parent's perception of their child's weight status. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed of prospective data collected from families of children undergoing adenotonsillectomy from June 2018 through June 2019. RESULTS: A total of 522 children met the inclusion criteria. Two hundred and thirty-two children were either overweight (n = 46, 9%) or obese (n = 186, 36%). Among parents of this cohort whose children were overweight or obese, 74 (32%) erroneously reported that their child was normal weight. For the 290 nonoverweight children, 99% of parents accurately reported weight status. After adjusting for ethnicity, race, BMI%, and sex, for every 1-year increase in age of the child, the odds of the parent correctly identifying their child as overweight increased by a factor of 1.18 (95% CI: 1.09, 1.27). CONCLUSION: One-third of families with children who were overweight or obese undergoing adenotonsillectomy for obstructive sleep disordered breathing underestimated their child's weight. This study highlights the need to facilitate family understanding of weight status' potential impact on both obstructive sleep disordered breathing severity and adenotonsillectomy success, especially for younger children. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 131:2121-2125, 2021.