Children With Down Syndrome and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Outcomes After Tonsillectomy

Objective To evaluate outcomes of tonsillectomy and predictors for persistent obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children with Down syndrome in an ethnically diverse population. Study Design Case series with chart review. Setting UT Southwestern/Children’s Medical Center Dallas. Methods Polysomnographic, clinical, and demographic characteristics of children with Down syndrome ages 1 to 18 years were collected, including pre‐ and postoperative polysomnography. Simple and multivariable regression models were used for predictors for persistent OSA. P ≤. 05 was considered significant. Results Eighty‐one children were included with a mean age of 6.6 years, 44 of 81 (54%) males, and 53 of 81 (65%) Hispanic. Preoperatively, 60 of 81 (74%) patients had severe OSA. Posttonsillectomy improvements occurred for apnea‐hypopnea index (27.9 to 14.0, P <. 001), arousal index (25.2 to 18.8, P =. 004), percent time with oxygen saturations <90% (8.8% to 3.4%, P =. 003), and oxygen nadir (81.4% to 85%, P <. 001). Forty‐seven children (58%) had persistent OSA. Fifteen children (18.5%) had increased apnea‐hypopnea index postoperatively: 2 from mild to moderate, 2 from mild to severe, and 2 from moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. Persistent OSA predictors were asthma (odds ratio, 4.77; 95% CI, 1.61‐14.09; P =. 005) and increasing age (odds ratio, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.09‐1.43; P =. 001). Conclusion Children with Down syndrome are at high risk for persistent OSA after tonsillectomy with about 20% worsening after tonsillectomy. Asthma and increasing age are predictors for persistent OSA in children with Down syndrome.