Screening for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome in Children

To be able to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in a patient, polysomnography (PSG) remains the gold standard. However, this is expensive, involves a considerable workload and is quite complex. Additionally, the wait time from when the patient was referred for PSG to when it is done can take up to 5-6 months. Simpler screening tools have therefore been developed, such as questionnaires. The questionnaires are subjective tools completed by the parents based on the observation of the child's sleep, behavioral problems, etc. These questionnaires have shown usefulness in sorting out patients to be referred to a sleep specialist, an Oto-Rhino-Laryngologist (ENT) or an orthodontist before performing a PSG in view of the difficulty of access to it. The Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) is a tool that was developed by Chervin and his colleagues to screen children with OSAS. This questionnaire is a reliable and scientifically validated tool. In addition, the PSQ is the most accurate questionnaire from a screening point of view. However, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) considers that the questionnaires, among others, the PSQ, are not sensitive enough to detect OSAS in a child. They offer an anamnesis as well as a clinical examination to be carried out in addition to the few questions taken from the PSQ that they consider useful for screening patients at risk. The investigators can therefore ask themselves the following question: "Is the PSQ sufficient on its own or do the investigators obtain better results when the investigators carry out a complete anamnesis as well as a clinical examination? "