Validity and Cost-Effectiveness of Pediatric Home Respiratory Polygraphy for the Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children: Rationale, Study Design, and Methodology

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children is a prevalent, albeit largely undiagnosed disease associated with a large spectrum of morbidities. Overnight in-lab polysomnography remains the gold standard diagnostic approach, but is time-consuming, inconvenient, and expensive, and not readily available in many places. Simplified Home Respiratory Polygraphy (HRP) approaches have been proposed to reduce costs and facilitate the diagnostic process. However, evidence supporting the validity of HRP is still scarce, hampering its implementation in routine clinical use. The objectives were: Primary; to establish the diagnostic and therapeutic decision validity of a simplified HRP approach compared to PSG among children at risk of OSA. Secondary: (a) Analyze the cost-effectiveness of the HRP versus in-lab PSG in evaluation and treatment of pediatric OSA; (b) Evaluate the impact of therapeutic interventions based on HRP versus PSG findings six months after treatment using sleep and health parameters and quality of life instruments; (c) Discovery and validity of the urine biomarkers to establish the diagnosis of OSA and changes after treatment.

Automated summary

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children is a prevalent yet often undiagnosed disease with a range of associated morbidities. Home Respiratory Polygraphy (HRP) has been proposed as a simplified approach to diagnosing OSA compared to in-lab polysomnography, but evidence supporting its validity is lacking. Research objectives include establishing the validity of HRP compared to in-lab PSG, analyzing cost-effectiveness, and evaluating the impact of therapeutic interventions based on HRP findings.