Pulse oximeter respiratory monitoring in obstructive sleep apnoea
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Respiratory monitoring by pulse oximetry waveform analysis in children with suspected obstructive sleep apnoea
IRAS ID
157547
Contact name
Paul Seddon
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust
Research summary
Regular breathing at a normal rate is one of the most important signs of life and health, and so changes in breathing can be one of the earliest indications of a problem which may need treatment. Monitoring respiratory rate and pauses in breathing (apnoeas) is therefore vital in the assessment of sick children. In everyday practice nurses and doctors routinely do this by counting a child's breathing rate by eye, but unfortunately this can only be done for short periods and is difficult to do accurately. A variety of probes and devices have been used for respiratory monitoring, but they all have drawbacks and are not usually used outside intensive care units.
We have developed a method of respiratory monitoring using a pulse oximeter. This machine takes readings from a soft probe wrapped around a child's hand or foot, and is already used routinely in hospitals to measure oxygen levels (saturation) and heart rate. Our research has already shown that the pulse oximeter trace can also be used to monitor breathing accurately for short periods in infants with lung disease and acutely wheezy preschool children.In this study, we would like to test whether this method can provide accurate respiratory monitoring in children with obstructive sleep apnoea (a condition where a child's breathing stops for short spells when they are asleep) and whether it can be used for monitoring during overnight sleep. We plan to do this by comparing this method with existing “gold standard” methods of respiratory monitoring. In component one we will compare the two methods by analysing patient information that has already been obtained as part of their diagnostic work-up. In component two we will compare the two methods either during an overnight admission or during an overnight period in the child's home.
REC name
London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/1324
Date of REC Opinion
8 Oct 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion