Research Appraisals
Evidence-based critical appraisals of the latest medical research, systematically evaluated using Oxford CEBM methodology.
Showing 6 appraisals
Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung
Upper airway dimensions in pediatric obstructive sleep-disordered breathing: a systematic review and meta-analysis
PURPOSE: This review aimed to highlight the association between upper airways dimensions and pediatric obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (oSDB). METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the published literature on upper airways dimensions in oSDB children compared with controls. We examined publications focusing on children aged up to 9 years old whose oSDB diagnosis was based on polysomnographic exams, identification of mouth breathing rather than normal nasal breathing, or snoring. To be included, these publications should evaluate differences in mean values of upper airways dimensions between oSDB children and controls. The risk of bias and certainty of evidence were assessed. This review followed the protocols recommended by the Preferred Reporting Items for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA-2020) guidelines. RESULTS: 17 studies were selected identified from the initial 489 publications identified. Children with oSDB symptoms showed a reduced cross-sectional area of the global airway and its nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal subsections, a smaller minimum cross-section, and a shorter anteroposterior dimension of the upper part of the pharynx compared with controls, whatever the method used to image the upper airways. All the included studies were considered at low risk of bias even though some limitations were noted. CONCLUSION: These findings have clinical implications as they help facilitate diagnosis and treatment of children with oSDB. More specifically, they indicate that the management of the pathology should focus on increasing the nasopharyngeal space and strongly support early adeno-/tonsillectomy as the primary treatment option in pediatric oSDB.
31 July 2026
Read appraisal →European journal of pediatrics
Health-related quality of life and associated factors in children with bronchiectasis: A systematic review
UNLABELLED: This systematic review aimed to summarize the current evidence on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its associated factors in children with bronchiectasis. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, CINAHL, CENTRAL, CNKI, WanFang, VIP, and CBM published from inception to October 2025. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed quality using standardized tools. Descriptive synthesis was performed. Nine studies were included, with overall moderate to high quality. HRQoL scores in children with bronchiectasis were significantly lower than those in healthy controls across most scales, though findings varied across physical and psychosocial domains. Parent-proxy scores were generally lower than child self-reports. Lower HRQoL was associated with impaired lung function, frequent exacerbations, higher symptom burden, and anxiety/depression. CONCLUSION: HRQoL is substantially impaired in children with bronchiectasis. Routine assessment of HRQoL and integrated interventions addressing both physical and psychosocial aspects are warranted in clinical practice. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Bronchiectasis is a chronic respiratory disease that causes coughing and breathing difficulties in children. • Previous studies have reported inconsistent findings on quality of life in children with bronchiectasis. WHAT IS NEW: • This systematic review consolidates evidence from nine studies, confirming that children with bronchiectasis have significantly lower quality of life than healthy children. • Poor lung function, frequent exacerbations, and anxiety/depression are key determinants; parents tend to rate their child's quality of life lower than the children themselves, underscoring the need for integrated care including psychological support.
31 July 2026
Read appraisal →European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society
The evolution of scientific knowledge in childhood asthma over time
Paediatric asthma management has undergone a significant transformation from rudimentary assessments in the early 20th century to sophisticated diagnostic and therapeutic approaches today. Early clinical observations lacked paediatric specificity, but mid-20th-century studies introduced functional assessments, spirometry and recognition of asthma as a chronic inflammatory condition. The introduction of inhaled corticosteroids transformed long-term management, offering targeted control with reduced systemic risks. Advances in noninvasive diagnostics, such as fractional exhaled nitric oxide, induced sputum analysis, exhaled breath condensate and electronic nose technology, have improved inflammation monitoring, phenotype classification and therapeutic responsiveness. The integration of omics technologies, i.e. genomics, proteomics and metabolomics, has enabled deeper insights into disease mechanisms and facilitated early, individualised interventions. Concurrently, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are emerging as tools for predicting exacerbations, identifying clinical subtypes and enhancing decision-making through large-scale data integration. Despite these advancements, challenges remain around standardisation, data quality and ensuring equitable access. This narrative review synthesises decades of progress in paediatric asthma care, emphasising the transition from empirical treatment to personalised, biomarker-driven strategies. It highlights current gaps, particularly in algorithm transparency, paediatric-specific validation and holistic care integration. As asthma management enters an era of digital health and AI-assisted precision medicine, future success will depend on interdisciplinary collaboration, real-world validation and policies that close care disparities.
29 May 2026
Read appraisal →European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society
Normal polysomnography parameters in healthy children: a systematic review and meta-analysis
INTRODUCTION: There is a lack of normative values for polysomnographic parameters in childhood. This study presents a comprehensive meta-analysis of paediatric polysomnography parameters scored using recent criteria to establish normative values adjusted for age and sex. METHODOLOGY: A systematic search was conducted in Web of Science and Scopus for studies that performed overnight polysomnography in healthy children and reported polysomnographic parameters scored using the American Academy of Sleep Medicine criteria (2007 or 2012). Children with previously diagnosed health conditions were excluded. Estimates for sleep, arousals and cardiorespiratory parameters were pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis and the influence of sex and age was assessed using meta-regression. RESULTS: Of 3612 articles, 66 studies were eligible, resulting in a sample size of 2947 healthy children. Pooled estimates and 95% confidence intervals for 34 polysomnographic parameters were established. Meta-regression revealed age-related decrease in total sleep time (TST), sleep period time, TST in stage N3 and REM, number of sleep cycles, total arousals, total leg movements, periodic leg movement index, central apnoea index, apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI), mean peripheral oxygen saturation (S pO2 ), mean heart rate in sleep and REM, while the number of awakenings, TST in stage N2, number of stage shifts, and S pO2 nadir increased with age. Sleep latency was the only parameter influenced by sex (change of -1.27 min per 10% increase in the proportion of males). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis provides normative polysomnographic data for the paediatric population that can be used as control values in both clinical and research context.
15 May 2026
Read appraisal →European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society
Oscillometry for the diagnosis of asthma in children: a systematic review
BACKGROUND: Diagnosing asthma in children and young people (CYP) remains challenging. Oscillometry is a promising tool and is feasible from 2 years of age. European Respiratory Society (ERS) technical standards and bronchodilator response (BDR) oscillometry thresholds have been published, but diagnostic accuracy is not established. METHODS: We systematically reviewed studies comparing oscillometry and spirometry in CYP under investigation for asthma. Reference standards were positive BDR or positive methacholine challenge test (MCT). Primary aims were to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of current ERS oscillometry thresholds (>40% decrease in resistance at 5 Hz (R 5), >50% increase in reactance at 5 Hz (X 5) or >80% decrease in the area under the reactance curve); secondary aims were to identify oscillometry threshold values optimising both sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: 11 studies were included; six (n=992 CYP) utilised BDR and five (n=531 CYP) MCT as reference standard. Meta-analysis was not possible due to heterogeneity of results reported. In two studies using current ERS BDR thresholds, zero sensitivity and high specificity (>85%) were observed. In weighted regression analyses of BDR studies, a 17.0% decrease in resistance at 5-6 Hz had sensitivity and specificity of 71.6% (95% CI 69.7-73.7%); a 20.2% increase in X 5 had sensitivity and specificity of 68.6% (95% CI 66.6-70.8%). Similarly, 27.7% increase in R 5 had sensitivity and specificity of 73.6% (95% CI 71.9-75.3%) for MCT. CONCLUSION: Currently recommended ERS thresholds for oscillometry BDR have low sensitivity. Proposed thresholds for defining positive BDR and MCT by oscillometry require prospective validation and adoption of standards for measuring and reporting oscillometry parameters in future diagnostic comparative studies.
3 May 2026
Read appraisal →BMJ paediatrics open
Oxygen therapy for children with an oxygen saturation of 90-93% in Malawi: the NoGoLO2 pilot randomised controlled trial
OBJECTIVE: Oxygen is a cornerstone treatment for pneumonia with hypoxaemia. WHO guidelines recommend oxygen therapy for children with a peripheral arterial haemoglobin oxygen saturation (SpO2) <90%. Children in low- and middle-income countries with an SpO2 of 90-93% are at increased risk of mortality and may benefit from oxygen therapy. We aimed to determine the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial comparing standard of care (no oxygen), low-flow nasal cannula (LFNC) and high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) among children with pneumonia and an SpO2 of 90-93%. DESIGN: Pilot, open-label, three-armed randomised control trial (NCT06176664). SETTING: Salima District Hospital, Malawi. PATIENTS: Children 1-59 months old with WHO-defined pneumonia and an SpO2 of 90-93%. INTERVENTIONS: Standard care (no oxygen), LFNC or HFNC. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was feasibility defined as an average of ≤2 protocol deviations per participant. Secondary outcomes included consent refusal, participant attrition and treatment failure within 14 days. Treatment failure was defined as an SpO2 <90% for standard care participants or <94% in the LFNC and HFNC arms despite maximum therapy as described, any new severe respiratory distress (grunting, very severe chest indrawing) or any new WHO-defined emergency sign. RESULTS: Of the 29 eligible patients, 21 (72%) were enrolled and randomised. There was an average of 0.8 (16/21) deviations per participant. Seven (43.8%) protocol violations were related to study intervention protocols and nine (56.3%) to medication availability and routine care. No participants withdrew from the study. Three of 21 participants (14.3%) had treatment failure. All participants were successfully followed to obtain the 14-day outcome. CONCLUSIONS: A three-armed, open-label randomised control trial is feasible to compare standard of care, LFNC and HFNC oxygen for children with pneumonia and an SpO2 of 90-93% in Malawi. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT06176664.
4 Apr 2026
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