O017 Real-World Utility of Overnight Oximetry for the Screening of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in Children

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common problem in children, and can result in developmental and cognitive complications if untreated. The gold-standard tool for diagnosis is polysomnography (PSG); however, it is an expensive and time-consuming test to undertake. Overnight oximetry has been suggested as a faster and cheaper alternative to PSG as it can be performed at home using limited, reusable equipment. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a home oximetry service (implemented in response to extended waiting times for routine PSG) in reducing the time between patient referral and treatment. All patients who utilised the Queensland Children’s Hospital home oximetry service since its inception in 2021 (n=165) were compared to a historic group of patients who underwent PSG in 2018 (n=313). The time from request of the sleep-related study to definitive treatment (ENT surgery or continuous positive airway pressure trial) was significantly reduced (161 days for the HITH oximetry group vs 348 days for the comparable PSG group; p-value <0.02), and time from sleep study request to the report of results was significantly lower for patients in the oximetry group compared to those in the PSG group (12 days vs 86 days p-value <0.01). These results suggest that a home oximetry service can be effective in reducing the waiting time for patients diagnosed with OSA to receive treatment. Further research should examine larger sample sizes to confirm the study findings, investigate the health economic impacts of the service and explore patient/family perspectives.