Screening awareness of obstructive sleep apnea in children with down syndrome among primary care and pediatric sub-specialty clinicians by survey questionnaire.

PURPOSE: To assess the screening awareness of obstructive sleep apnea in children with Down syndrome among Primary Care and Pediatric Sub-Specialty Clinicians.

METHODS

A 15-question cross-sectional survey was conducted to determine the current awareness of OSA screening in DS children among primary care and pediatric subspecialty clinicians in the state of Kentucky. A Fisher's Exact test was performed to determine if the proportions of respondents differed significantly among different clinicians.

RESULTS

A total of 97 responses were included. 73% of the clinicians specialized in pediatrics, 23% in family medicine, and 3% in ENT. Of the respondents, 50% were physician attendings, 27% were residents, and 23% were nurse practitioners or physician assistants. Although 94% of the respondents were aware that the prevalence of OSA in children with DS is higher than normally developing children, only 26% were aware of AAP guidelines and only 29.6% knew the age-specific threshold for screening regardless of symptoms. A significant difference existed between the type of clinicians who agreed that all DS children should undergo OSA screening regardless of symptoms: 85.4% of attending physicians, 57.7% of residents, and 81.8% of nurse practitioners (p < 0.03). In terms of specialty, 84% in pediatrics, 50% in medicine/pediatrics, and 59% in family medicine (p < 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

AAP screening guidelines for awareness of OSA in DS children vary among clinicians, their practice, and their specialty in Kentucky. Given the clinical implications of OSA, clinicians can utilize this study to identify knowledge gaps to address the barriers to screening guidelines education.