Overnight Monitoring Criteria for Children with Obstructive Sleep‐Disordered Breathing After Tonsillectomy: Revisited

Abstract

ObjectivesPrevious studies indicate children who pass an Asleep Room Air Challenge (AsRAC) do not have significant postoperative adverse respiratory events after adenotonsillectomy (T&A).Subsequently, we revised our overnight monitoring (OM) criteria, allowing patients with an obstructive apnea/hypopnea index (OAHI) ≤20 or nonsevere obesity (Class I) to be considered for same‐day surgery (SDS) if they passed an AsRAC.Our hypothesis is that our modified OM criteria would not increase the return visits or readmission rates for patients undergoing SDS within 48 h or 15 days of T&A.MethodsA retrospective review of all children aged ≥3 and <21 years who underwent T&A at a tertiary children's hospital and its satellite locations was performed from January 2017 to September 2022. Descriptive statistics and outcome measures were compared using a 3% margin noninferiority test before and after the new criteria implementation.ResultsBefore intervention, 3,266 (58%) T&As were performed as SDS.Afterward, 74% of T&As were performed as SDS (p‐value <0.05). There was no difference in the ED revisit rate for SDS within the 3% noninferiority margin. Following intervention, 29% more children with Class I obesity (62% vs. 33%) underwent SDS (p‐value <0.001). Afterward, 19% more children with polysomnography underwent SDS (39% vs. 20%), p‐value <0.001. After intervention, within 48 h of SDS, six (0.9%) children had revisits for bleeding and seven (1.2%) for vomiting. There were no perioperative respiratory events.ConclusionOur revised monitoring criteria did not demonstrate an increase in ED visit or readmissions rates within 48 h or 15 days of T&A. Additionally, we found a 29% increase in Class I obese children undergoing SDS T&A.Level of Evidence3 Laryngoscope, 2024