Polysomnography in Children

Polysomnography is the gold standard test for the diagnosis of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in children. Pediatric polysomnography should be performed in a sleep laboratory equipped for children and staffed by qualified personnel following the American Thoracic Society (ATS) standards for testing. In 2007, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) standardized scoring of sleep stages and definitions for sleep-disordered breathing events in children. Controversy remains regarding preoperative screening for SDB in normal children undergoing adenotonsillectomy (T&A). All children with risk factors for respiratory complications postoperatively should have a baseline polysomnogram before T&A. Children requiring positive airway pressure therapy must have a baseline and a titration polysomnogram to evaluate therapeutic effect. Alternative types of sleep studies with variable channels have not been fully validated in children.