Clinical Practice Guideline Polysomnography for Sleep-Disordered Breathing Prior to Tonsillectomy in Children

Objective. This guideline provides otolaryngologists with evidence-based recommendations for using polysomnography in assessing children, aged 2 to 18 years, with sleep-disordered breathing and are candidates for tonsillectomy, with or without adenoidectomy. Polysomnography is the electrographic recording of simultaneous physiologic variables during sleep and is currently considered the gold standard for objectively assessing sleep disorders.Purpose. There is no current consensus or guideline on when children 2 to 18 years of age, who are candidates for tonsillectomy, are recommended to have polysomnography. The primary purpose of this guideline is to improve referral patterns for polysomnography among these patients. In creating this guideline, the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation selected a panel representing the fields of anesthesiology, pulmonology medicine, otolaryngology–head and neck surgery, pediatrics, and sleep medicine.Results. The committee made the following...