Comparison of Patient- and Parent-Reported Quality of Life for Patients Treated for Persistent Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Abstract

Objectives To evaluate the impact of the treatment of persistent pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on quality of life (QOL) with patient-reported outcomes tools and to compare parent- and self-reported Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) scores. Study Design Prospective case series. Setting Multidisciplinary upper airway center at a tertiary pediatric institution. Subjects and Methods Children with persistent OSA referred to our multidisciplinary upper airway center from 2014 to 2016. Patients and their families completed validated questionnaires for QOL, including the Family Impact Questionnaire, the Obstructive Sleep Apnea-18, the PedsQL, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale for Children and Adolescents. They completed the same surveys after treatment. Results Twenty-three children (7 females) and their families were included in the study. Patients had a mean age of 12.7 years. Pretreatment, the mean obstructive apnea-hypopnea index was 15.0 events/hour (95% CI, 8.7-21.3); after treatment, the mean was 3.9 events/hour ( P = .003). The mean PedsQL score for children improved from 60.5 to 74.2 ( P = .04). The PedsQL score for parents did not significantly improve (61.6 to 63.8, P = .39). There was a significant though weak association between OSA severity ( R2 = 0.25, P = .03) and PedsQL scores. The Family Impact Questionnaire negative subscore and Epworth Sleepiness Scale for Children and Adolescents scores did not change with treatment. Conclusions For children treated for persistent OSA, we found that self-reported QOL significantly improved after treatment; however, parent-reported QOL did not significantly change. It is unclear if parents underestimate or patients overestimate QOL after treatment. We suggest that patient-reported outcomes be obtained when feasible.