Preop questionnaire identifies children at risk for sleep-disordered breathing

Editor's Note

Implementation of a pediatric screening questionnaire (Snoring, Trouble Breathing, Un-Refreshed [STBUR]) helped anesthesia professionals identify children with symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing before undergoing general anesthesia, in this study.

The likelihood of developing a perioperative respiratory adverse event increased three-fold when three of the five questions were answered yes and 10-fold when all five questions were answered yes.

Including the STBUR questionnaire in the preanesthesia interview raises awareness of potential risks and allows anesthesia professionals to modify their airway and anesthesia plans toward safer practices, the authors say.