Chilean recommendations for pediatric respiratory polygraphy. Chilean Society of Pediatric Pulmonology (SOCHINEP), Chilean Society of Respiratory Diseases (SER-Chile), and Chilean Society of Sleep Medicine (SOCHIMES)

Abstract

Sleep-Disordered Breathing (SDB) is highly prevalent and underdiagnosed in the pediatric population. The gold-standard test for its diagnosis and categorization is polysomnography (PSG), though access to it is limited in our setting. Polygraphy (PG) is a more accessible and versatile alternative that helps to reduce the diagnostic gap of SDB at a local level. In these recommendations, the authors –members of the Chilean Society of Pediatric Pulmonology (SOCHINEP), the Chilean Society of Respiratory Diseases (SER-Chile), and the Chilean Society of Sleep Medicine (SOCHIMES)– aim to establish guidelines for the use of PG in pediatrics. Technical and practical aspects and interpretation are discussed in depth, including specific comments on special populations such as children under 3 months, hospitalized in critical units, patients with neuromuscular disease, obesity, craniofacial malformations, and chronically ventilated. Thus, these guidelines establish recommendations applicable throughout Chile for the use of PG as a reliable and standardized tool in various pediatric clinical settings.