International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology
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Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. · Dec 2002
Multicenter StudyPreoperative sedation in pediatric patients with sleep-disordered breathing.
Based on a few reports that describe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients as having an increased risk of acute upper airway obstruction (UAO) after pharmacological sedation, this population is less likely to receive sedation prior to surgery. Our objective was to evaluate pediatric patients with sleep-disordered breathing who received preoperative sedation to determine if there was an increase in preoperative airway obstruction. ⋯ The preliminary data suggested that preoperative sedation might be safely administered to children with mild or moderate sleep-disordered breathing, and possibly to children with severe OSA, if children are closely observed prior to surgery. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these results.