OVERNIGHT PULSE OXIMETRY IN SNORING AND NON-SNORING CHILDREN

The effect of snoring on overnight pulse oximetry recordings in the pa ediatric community was investigated. A random sample of 222 children u p to 10 years of age from the town of Frome, Somerset, UK, had overnig ht pulse oximetry performed in the home environment. The oximetry reco rdings obtained from 58 snoring and 164 non-snoring subjects were comp ared. No clinically relevant difference in oxygen saturation level cou ld be detected between these two groups of children. In conclusion, sn oring in children up to 10 years of age is common, 11% often snore. It is not associated with hypoxia as measured by overnight pulse oximetr y. This would suggest that surgical intervention for the symptom of sn oring alone is not indicated.