The Clinical Advisor reports that measuring a pediatric patient’s neck-to-waist ratio can help determine if he or she has obstructive sleep apnea.
As a provider, keep a measuring tape in your drawer can be helpful in determining whether your pediatric patient has obstructive sleep apnea. Research from Canada suggests that a neck-to-waist ratio of >0.41 has sufficient sensitivity and specificity to be considered a predictor of obstructive sleep apnea. The neck circumference is measured at the most prominent part of the thyroid cartilage and the waist circumference equidistant between the iliac crest and the lowest rib.
