BackgroundObstructive sleep-disordered breathing (oSDB) is a condition encompassing breathing problems when asleep due to upper airway obstruction. In children, hypertrophy of the tonsils and/or adenoids is thought to be the commonest cause. As such, (adeno)tonsillectomy has long been the treatment of choice. A rise in partial removal of the tonsils over the last decade is due to the hypothesis that tonsillotomy is associated with lower postoperative morbidity and fewer complications.
ObjectivesTo assess whether partial removal of the tonsils (intracapsular tonsillotomy) is as e ective as total removal of the tonsils (extracapsular tonsillectomy) in relieving signs and symptoms of oSDB in children, and has lower postoperative morbidity and fewer complications.
Objective: Patients with serious mental illness (SMI) are at increased risk of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Despite this, OSA is frequently under-recognised in the psychiatric population. This study describes the results of OSA screening in SMI patients. Method: Patients with SMI attending a metropolitan mental health clinic were screened for OSA using the OSA50, STOP-BANG Questionnaire (SBQ), Epworth Sleep Score (ESS) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). They were then offered diagnostic sleep testing via ResMed ApneaLinkTM and polysomnography. Results: Of the 65 patients recruited, 65% had a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, 85% were on antipsychotic medications and the majority were obese. Approximately 50% of patients reported poor sleep quality via the PSQI, in contrast to 12% with elevated daytime sleepiness via the ESS. 46% of our cohort were at risk of OSA due to an elevated OSA50 or SBQ. Of the five patients who agreed to proceed to diagnostic sleep testing, three were diagnosed with OSA. Conclusion: A high proportion of patients with psychiatric illness are at risk of sleep-disordered breathing. Sleep dissatisfaction is high. The low uptake of sleep investigation requires improved patient engagement to improve OSA diagnosis in this high-risk group.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.