OBJECTIVETo determine the clinical value of portable sleep testing by Watch-PAT (PAT) in children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).

METHODFifty cases of snoring children aged 3-11 years were randomly selected to undergo the polysomnography (PSG) and PAT simultaneously at the same night. The consistency of sleep parameters in OSAS and non - OSAS children were compared with PSG as reference standard, and ROC curve analysis was performed to assess the sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of OSAS with PAT portable sleep monitor.

RESULTFourteen cases were diagnosed as OSAS in 6-11 years group by PAT and PSG. But in 3-5 years group, only six children were diagnosed as OSAS, there was significant difference between PAT and PSG (P < 0.05). Among those 6-11 years old children, compared with non-OSAS, PAT study showed that III+IV stage sleep ((30.5 ± 2.4)% vs. (38.2 ± 2.3)%, χ(2)=4.31, P<0.05), REM sleep duration ((8.9 ± 2.5)% vs. (18.3 ± 2.1)%, χ² =4.31, P<0.05), TST ((458 ± 78) min vs. (522 ± 56) min, t=4.85, P<0.05) and sleep efficiency ((83.5 ± 3.1)% vs. (93.5 ± 3.5)%, t=3.75, P<0.05) decreased, I+II stage sleep ((61.5 ± 4.4)% vs. (44.1 ± 3.5)%, χ² =6.07, P<0.05), arousal index ((29.5 ± 8.2)/h vs. (10.6 ± 5.6)/h, t=3.70, P<0.05), AHI ((7.6 ± 5.3)/h vs. (2.1 ± 2.0)/h, t=2.40, P<0.05), RDI((18.2 ± 5.1)/h vs. (6.5 ± 3.9)/h, t=3.85, P<0.05) increased in OSAS children. Furthermore, the total sleep time (TST) ((458 ± 78) min vs. (430 ± 76) min, t=2.90, P<0.05) and sleep efficiency ((83.5 ± 3.1) % vs. (81.9 ± 4.3) %, t=2.45, P<0.05) were higher by PAT than scored by PSG. ROC curve analysis showed the best threshold selection of AHI 5.0, the sensitivity was 0.952, the specificity was 0.858. AHI 7.0, the sensitivity was 0.968, the specificity was 0.985. AHI 10, the sensitivity was 0.985 and the specificity was 0.99, but AHI 1.0, the sensitivity was 0.852 and the specificity was 0.785.

CONCLUSIONPAT can be used at home in school age children due to the high consistency with PSG and the high compliance.