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Patrick J. P. Poels, MD; Anne G. M. Schilder, MD, PhD; Sandra van den Berg, RN; Arno W. Hoes, MD, PhD; Koen F. M. Joosten, MD, PhD

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2003;129:1281-1284.

Objective  To evaluate the feasibility of using a new home cardiorespiratory recording device (HCRD) in children.

Design  Cross-sectional study.

Patients  Consecutive children scheduled for adenotonsillectomy to treat habitual snoring and/or apneas at otorhinolaryngology clinics in 2 academic and 7 general hospitals.

Intervention  Single-night unattended home cardiorespiratory recording prior to adenotonsillectomy using the HCRD.

Main Outcome Measures  Number of technically acceptable recordings and successful recordings with artifact-free signals (respiration, saturation, and nasal flow) present for sufficient duration to allow scoring of the polysomnogram and to make a diagnosis.

Results  Of 53 eligible children, 24 participated in the study. The main reason for nonparticipation was refusal of caregivers (n = 16). Mean (SD) age of participants was 4.2 (1.6) years; median Brouillette obstructive sleep apnea score was 2.54. Technically acceptable recordings were obtained in 18 children (75%). Only 7 recordings (29%) were classified as successful. The poorest signal quality was obtained from the nasal cannula.

Conclusion  Based on strict scoring criteria in this study, the results of single-night unattended recordings at home with the HCRD fell short of expectations.

From the Julius Center for Health Sciences and General Practice (Drs Poels and Hoes), the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital (Drs Poels and Schilder), University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; and the Department of Pediatrics, subdivision of Pediatric Intensive Care, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Ms van den Berg and Dr Joosten). Dr Poels is currently with the Department of Family Medicine, University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The authors have no relevant financial interest in this article.