Hemorrhage post adenotonsillectomy less common with OSA

(HealthDay)—For children undergoing adenotonsillectomy (AT), those with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) appear to have more respiratory complications, while hemorrhage appears to be more frequent in children without OSA, according to a review published online Sept. 21 in Pediatrics.

Graziela De Luca Canto, Ph.D., D.D.S., from the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil, and colleagues used data from 23 articles to examine the most frequent complications after AT. They evaluated whether there were differences for children with versus those without OSA.

The researchers found that respiratory compromise was the most frequent complication (9.4 percent), followed by secondary hemorrhage (2.6 percent). Postoperative complications were compared for children with and without OSA in four studies; compared with children without OSA, those with OSA were nearly five times more likely to have respiratory complications after AT (odds ratio, 4.9). Children with versus those without OSA were less likely to have postoperative bleeding (odds ratio, 0.41).

"The most frequent early complications after AT are respiratory compromise and secondary hemorrhage," the authors write. "Based on the current limited evidence, children with OSA appear to have more respiratory complications. Conversely, hemorrhage appears to be more frequent in children without OSA."

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