Management of Sleep Apnea in Children with Chiari I Malformation: A Retrospective Study.

Introduction: The literature indicates that decompression of Chiari I malformations (CM-1) may resolve symptoms of sleep apnea. This study aims to identify the incidence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central sleep apnea (CSA), and mixed sleep apnea in a cohort of pediatric CM-1 patients treated at our institution. We also assessed apnea-hypopnea index and symptomatology before and after surgery to investigate if Chiari decompression is a viable treatment for sleep apnea in CM-1 patients.

Assessment and treatment of obstructive sleep-disordered breathing.

Obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (OSDB) is a condition that affects 1% to 3% of the pediatric population. These disorders are difficult to diagnosis and left untreated may be serious, including not only medical comorbidities but also cognitive, academic, behavioral, and emotional sequelae. This article is designed to bring awareness of the severity and prevalence to family physicians and pediatricians.

Role of a respiratory therapist in improving adherence to positive airway pressure treatment in a pediatric sleep apnea clinic.

Background: Many pediatric patients need positive airway pressure (PAP) for treatment of obstructive sleep-disordered breathing. Adherence to PAP (defined as percent of nights with PAP use of > 4 h) is often poor and not sustained long-term. With any chronic disease, education has been shown to help with patient outcomes.

Periodic limb movements during sleep in children with narcolepsy.

Study Objectives: In adults with narcolepsy, periodic limb movements of sleep (PLMS) occur more frequently than in control population, and presence of increased PLMS is associated with greater sleep disruption and shorter mean sleep latency. This study was performed to determine whether PLMS are common in children with narcolepsy, and whether the presence of PLMS is associated with greater sleep disruption.

Design: Demographic and polysomnographic information were collected from consecutive patients diagnosed with narcolepsy identified retrospectively by diagnosis-based search.

Report of two patients with associated conditions in addition to cystic fibrosis.

Purpose: To report two patients with associated conditions in addition to cystic fibrosis.

Methods: We reviewed our database and report two patients with cystic fibrosis who had associated conditions. These patients also had novel disease causing CFTR mutations on full gene sequence analysis.