BREATHING: Problems related to the Obstructive Sleep Disordered Breathing (OSDB) are so many: 1) a noso- graphic setting has still to be defined and this leads to contrasting results concerning the prevalence of the OSDB; 2) the absence of a single pathogenetic trigger which can explain the sudden increase of the number of cases of the OSDB since the 1980's; 3) a poor integration between clinical and diagnostic tests; 4) a not well defined role of the family pediatrician in approaching the OSDB.
Objectives: From the above introduction we can deduce four objectives of the study: 1) verifying the prevalence of the OSDB; 2) studying if an early development of the adenotonsillar tissues can influence the on-set of the OSDB; 3) a better definition of the clinical diagnosis; 4) knowing what decisions the family pediatrician do take as concerns the diagnostic tests and therapy.
Material and method: This study was carried out on questionnaires completed by 8 family pediatricians which consisted of two parts: the first section regarded the whole population interviewed (2.271 children) and the second more specific was reserved only to the 42 children classified as affected by the OSDB. These 42 children presented at least 3 of the following 4 features during sleep: (1) the parents are worried about the way their child breaths (2) snoring (3) apnea (4) paradoxical rib cage movement in inspiration.
Results: The prevalence of the OSDB was 1.8%. However considering how suggested by some authors even those children who snored and also presented oral respiration, the prevalence increased to 10.3%. These values are similar to the international results with a prevalence of 2-3% for the more severe forms defined as Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndromes (OSAS) and of 8-11% considering all the forms of the OSDB. Grouping these patients according to their ages, it resulted that the highest incidence of the OSDB was in children between 3-5 years. This observation supports the hypothesis that at the base of the OSDB is an early development of the adenotonsillar tissues, thus in constrast which the classical course which identifies the peak of adenotonsillar hypertrophy between 4 and 6 years of age. The frequency of the single signs and symptoms in the various ages permits the improvement of the clinical diagnosis: in particular snoring, oral respiration and tonsillar hypertrophy are less frequent in the first three years of life, while in the older children the percentage of growth inhibition decreased and it becomes more difficult observing paradoxical rib cage movement in inspiration. Concerning the diagnostic tests, the family pediatrician asks only exceptionally specific test during sleep (5% of the patients). Concerning therapy, many were the indications for adenotonsillectomy even during the first three years of age (82% of the patients) proving that the family paediatrician has overcome the old attitude of not indicating operation in the first 4-5 years of age.
Conclusion: The confirmed high prevalence of the OSDB, the possibility of further improving the clinical diagnosis, the good capacity of the family pediatrician concerns diagnosis and therapy are all factors which favour the direct management of most of the children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy by the family pediatrician. The diagnosis and therapeutic choice can find support in sleep tests when necessary. These tests have to be carried out in a specialized laboratory and the results be interpreted together with the clinical signs and symptoms. Patients who have to be managed by Pediatric sleep laboratory are: 1) children with OSDB due to organic and functional alterations on genetic basis; 2) children in whom adenotonsillectomy presents a high risk such as a severe respiratory insufficiency and the young age of the patient (less 12-18 months of life).