treatment

Last reviewed 01/2018

Conservative measures can be helpful in children with intermittent snoring only and no history of apnoeas, no underlying medical conditions and no daytime features (1).

Treatment options include:

• adenotonsillectomy
• tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy is carried out in children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy and no underlying medical condition. For these children
• post operative haemorrhage seen in 3 to 4% of patients is a complication of the surgery
• generally can be done safely in a district general hospital setting but high risk patients should be referred for treatment in a specialist centre
  
  
• nasal steroids
• can be used to treat rhinitis (if present)
  
  
• continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
• rarely used in children
• may have a role in children in whom adenotonsillar hypertrophy is not a significant contributor, if surgery is contraindicated or if there is a multifactorial aetiology (1,2)

Reference:

• (1) Powell S et al. Paediatric obstructive sleep apnoea. BMJ. 2010;340:c1918
• (2) Powell S. Clinical review: Paediatric obstructive sleep apnoea. GPonline 2011