Summary

Obstructive sleep apnoea is a common presentation in paediatric ear, nose and tongue (ENT) outpatients. The use of sleep studies is controversial however once a diagnosis has been made, frequently treatment is surgery. Should these patients be operated on as urgent cases? A 5-year-old boy was admitted under the paediatric team with difficultly breathing and desaturations to 77%. The patient had previously been seen by ENT as an outpatient with an 8-month history of obstructive sleep apnoea and was listed for an adenotonsillectomy with the standard waiting time. During this admission he had an emergency adenotonsillectomy. The patient improved immediately with no large desaturations in recovery and normal observations throughout his stay. It is never ideal to do a paediatric emergency operation and we have reviewed the evidence base to answer the question: Should these patients be treated urgently when seen in outpatients?