Open AccessPediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Otitis Media with Effusion
Author(s) -
Dreher Alfred,
Patscheider Martin,
Braun Thomas
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
otolaryngology–head and neck surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.232
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1097-6817
pISSN - 0194-5998
DOI - 10.1177/0194599811415823a350
Subject(s) - medicine , otitis , tympanometry , obstructive sleep apnea , polysomnography , apnea , adenoid , adenoid hypertrophy , effusion , apnea–hypopnea index , pediatrics , mann–whitney u test , tonsillectomy , anesthesia , adenoidectomy , audiology , surgery , hearing loss , audiometry
Objective Adenotonsillar hypertrophy causes obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and otitis media with effusion (OME). Is there also an association between OSA and OME? Method A total of 150 children with suspected OSA aged 4 to 8 years underwent polysomnography and tympanometry. Results A total of 72% were diagnosed with OSAS (apnea hypopnea index (AHI) >1). 46% had an AHI >5. 36% of the children had a tympanogram type A (Jerger) on both ears (normally ventilated) and 22% a type B on both ears (suggesting OME). Using Kruskal‐Wallis test, children with an AHI 5 did not statistically significantly differ in the prevalence of normally ventilated ears and OME. Accordingly, Mann‐Whitney test showed that children with normally ventilated ears did not have a statistically different AHI, apnea index, hypopnea index or minimal oxygen saturation than children suffering from OME. Conclusion Children with OME are not more likely to be diagnosed with OSAS and vice versa. This finding indicates a stronger association between adenoid hypertrophy and OME respectively tonsillar hypertrophy and OSAS.