The Journal of laryngology and otology
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Multicenter Study
Accuracy of clinical assessment of paediatric obstructive sleep apnoea in two English centres.
To ascertain the sensitivity and specificity of clinical diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea in children, and to determine if a published clinical algorithm identifies those at high risk of post-adenotonsillectomy complications. ⋯ This study of two English centres confirms that the clinical diagnostic process for obstructive sleep apnoea is reasonably insensitive and has low specificity. The studied algorithm discriminated poorly between children with and without severe obstructive sleep apnoea. Realistic diagnostic screening guidelines for paediatric sleep apnoea are overdue in the UK, where access to polysomnography is limited.