Resumo

TORRES MOLINA, Alexander. Sleep-Related Respiratory Disorders in Children. Medisur [online]. 2011, vol.9, n.4, pp. 351-359. ISSN 1727-897X.

Sleep-related respiratory disorders in children range from simple snoring to Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome, an entity that combines ventilation alterations with hypoxemia, hypercapnia and alterations of dream structure and daily activities. Currently, there is an increasing trend in the prevalence of these disorders worldwide. Nevertheless, there are no references in our country for the description of their behavior. In the service of respiratory diseases at Children’s Hospital ‘’Pedro Soto Alba’’ in Moa, schoolchildren who were habitual snorers, with symptoms and signs compatible with different degrees of obstruction of the upper airway during sleep, were attended . A consensus for diagnosis and integrated management was not achieved. Diagnostic and therapeutic methods are very effective in our days. They are aimed at reducing morbidity and complications responsible for the deteriorating life quality and death of these patients. Because of the general ignorance on this topic and the poor dissemination of information among medical staffs on sleep-related breathing disorders in children, a literature review was conducted outlining mainly etiology, pathophysiology, clinical and therapeutic elements of this entity.

Palavras-chave : child; respiration disorders; sleep apnea obstructive.