Management of obstructive sleep apnea in children: A practical approach.

The management of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in children differs between institutions, and there is a need for an updated review of current practice. Literature was reviewed using the PubMed database from 1995 to 2015 by four tertiary care providers experienced in the management of children with SDB. Articles were selected for clinical applicability, strength of evidence, and practicality for practicing clinicians. Fifty-five articles were identified by tertiary care providers in pediatric anesthesiology, pediatric pulmonology, sleep medicine, and pediatric otolaryngology. Each reviewed and analyzed literature independently based on their specialties, and a consensus document was created. The consensus was that the majority of children with SDB do not undergo polysomnography (PSG) before adenotonsillectomy (T&A). Indications for PSG are presented, with a practical approach recommended for the otolaryngologist. Clinical practice guidelines are available from leading national societies, but their recommendations differ. T&A is the first-line treatment and is highly effective in normal-weight but not in obese children. The perioperative management of children is challenging and needs to be individualized. Young children, those with severe obstructive sleep apnea, and those with significant comorbidities need to be observed overnight.

History and current practice of tonsillectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To review important developments in the history of adenotonsillectomy and describe current methods and results for the operation. STUDY DESIGN: Review. METHODS: Tonsillectomy practices since antiquity were reviewed, with emphasis on introductions of new surgical tools and procedures, anesthesia methods, and patient care practices. Past and current indications for and complications associated with tonsillectomy were also reviewed. RESULTS: Devices used for adenotonsillectomy have included snares, forceps, guillotines, various kinds of scalpels, lasers, ultrasonic scalpels, powered microdebriders, and bipolar scissors. General anesthesia, the Crowe-Davis mouth gag, and methods for controlling bleeding have contributed greatly to success with the operation. Past and current indications for adenotonsillectomy are similar, although the relative importance of some indications has changed. The complication rate has declined, but the problems that do occur remain the same. Currently, cost-effectiveness is a principal concern. CONCLUSION: The instruments and procedures used for adenotonsillectomy have evolved to render it a precise operation. Today, the procedure is a safe, effective method for treating breathing obstruction, throat infections, and recurrent childhood ear disease.

Posterior cartilage graft in single-stage laryngotracheal reconstruction.

PURPOSE: Single-stage laryngotracheal reconstruction (LTR) has gained popularity during the past decade, but few reports discuss posterior grafting. We assessed the indications, treatment, complications, and outcomes for patients who underwent this procedure. METHODS: We reviewed the charts of 120 pediatric patients who underwent LTR at LeBonheur Children's Medical Center or the University of Mississippi Medical Center between January 1992 and September 2000. We identified and evaluated those who had undergone single-stage anterior plus posterior cartilage rib graft reconstruction during this period. RESULTS: Of 120 patients, 56 had anterior graft procedures, and 46 had anterior plus posterior cartilage rib graft reconstruction. The 46 patients included 26 boys and 20 girls (age range, 18 months to 9 years; follow-up periods, 3 months to 6 years). Twenty-one of 46 had circumferential grade III stenosis, 14 had grade IV stenosis, 4 had bilateral vocal cord paralysis, 4 had posterior glottic and subglottic stenosis, and 3 had laryngeal cleft. Eleven of 46 patients had previous procedures and required revision LTR. All 46 patients underwent single-stage reconstruction with temporary stenting using an endotracheal tube for 10 to 24 days; 4 failed required replacement of the tracheotomy tube, and 8 required reintubation after the first extubation. The overall decannulation success rate was 83% (38 of 46). CONCLUSIONS: LTR is the procedure of choice for the surgical management of subglottic stenosis. Although use of a posterior rib graft is technically demanding and requires extensive experience, good results can be obtained when the guidelines are followed.

Revision single-stage laryngotracheal reconstruction in children.

In this report, we discuss indications, technique, outcome, and complications of revision single-stage laryngotracheal reconstruction (SSLTR), formulate guidelines to avoid or prevent procedure failure, and establish a protocol for the management of procedure failure. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 122 patients between the ages of 8 months and 9 years who underwent SSLTR between January 1992 and September 2001 in 2 tertiary care children's medical centers in different cities and assessed the outcomes of patients who underwent revision SSLTR. A total of 122 patients underwent SSLTR, of whom 48 patients underwent anterior and posterior grafting. Of the 122 patients, 13 had revision SSLTR; 8 of these 13 underwent the initial laryngotracheal reconstruction at another institution. Five patients had anterior grafting laryngotracheal reconstruction without stenting, 7 had anterior and posterior grafting with 1 to 21 days of endotracheal intubation, and I had cricotracheal resection and anastomosis. Of the 13 patients, 5 had anterior wall or graft collapse (grade IV stenosis), 4 had subglottic stenosis (grade IV), 2 had circumferential subglottic stenosis (grade III), and 2 had subglottic and glottic stenosis (grade IV). The overall success rate for all patients was 86% (105 of 122). The success rates for the 122 patients were as follows: anterior grafting, 100%; anterior and posterior grafting, 83% (40 of 48); and revision cases, 70% (9 of 13). We conclude that laryngotracheal reconstruction with a costal cartilage rib graft should be considered the procedure of choice for the management of subglottic stenosis. We believe that patients in whom the first procedure fails should have a high chance of success with revision SSLTR if strict guidelines and protocols are followed.

Intracranial complications of sinusitis: a 15-year review of 39 cases.

Despite improvements in antibiotic therapies and surgical techniques, sinusitis still carries a risk of serious and potentially fatal complications. We examined the charts of 82 patients who had been admitted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center between Jan. 1, 1985, and Dec. 31, 1999, for treatment of complications of sinusitis. Of these 82 patients, 43 had orbital complications and 39 had intracranial complications. In this article, we describe our findings in those patients who had intracranial complications (our findings in patients with orbital complications will be reported in a future article). The most common intracranial complication was meningitis; others were epidural abscess, subdural abscess, intracerebral abscess, Pott's puffy tumor, and superior sagittal sinus thrombosis. Most patients with meningitis were treated with drug therapy only; patients with abscesses were generally treated with intravenous antibiotics and drainage of the affected sinus and the abscess. Advancements in antibiotic therapy, endoscopic surgery, imaging studies, and computer-assisted surgery have helped improve outcomes. Management of these patients should be undertaken immediately and is best achieved via a multidisciplinary approach, involving the otolaryngologist, neurosurgeon, radiologist, anesthesiologist, infection disease specialist, pediatrician, internist, and others.

Orbital infection as a complication of sinusitis: are diagnostic and treatment trends changing?

Orbital infection has long been the most common complication of sinusitis. In light of our increased knowledge of sinusitis, improved diagnostic tools, and new pharmacologic and surgical treatments, we investigated whether trends in diagnosis and treatment are changing. We reviewed the charts of all 43 patients who had been referred to our institution with orbital complications of sinusitis between Jan. 1, 1985, and Dec. 31, 1999. Nine of the 43 patients had been diagnosed between Jan. 1, 1985, and Dec. 31, 1990 (mean: 1.5 patients/yr) and 34 had been diagnosed between Jan. 1, 1991, and Dec. 31, 1999 (mean: 3.8 patients/yr). Of the 43 patients, 27 had cellulitis and 16 had an abscess (one of the 16 had two abscesses--one subperiosteal and one supraorbital). All 17 abscesses were treated surgically. Five of the 7 abscesses operated on from 1985 through 1990 were treated via an open external approach, whereas 7 of the 10 abscesses that were operated on later were treated via an endoscopic approach. We conclude that orbital complications of sinonasal origin are being recognized more frequently than they were in the past and that endoscopy has supplanted the open external approach as the preferred method of drainage.