To compare the nocturnal oxygen saturation profiles of children with adenotonsillar enlargement with that of normal children. A 1 year comparative study. The study was carried out at the Otorhinolaryngology Ward of the University College Hospital Ibadan. These comprise of 60 children (1-9 years) with clinically confirmed adenotonsillar enlargement admitted for adenotonsillectomy and 60 normal children matched for age and sex. The biodata and common clinical presentations of the study group were acquired with a structured proforma. The severity of nasopharyngeal obstruction was determined by the adenoidal-nasopharyngeal ratio while the degree of tonsillar enlargement was graded by the Brodsky's classification. The nocturnal oxygen saturation of all the participants were recorded with a wrist worn pulse oximeter. Recording was for at least for 4 h. Oxygen saturation \92 % was regarded as desaturation. The oximetric values of the study and control group were compared. The mean nocturnal SPO 2 (peripheral saturation of oxygen) profiles of children with adenotonsillar enlargement were as follows: basal = 96.86 %, minimum = 84.99 %; maximum = 99 % and average SPO 2 \92 % = 87.74 % while the saturation profiles of the control group were as follows; basal = 97.88 %, minimum = 89.71 %; maximum = 99 %, average SPO 2 \92 % = 90.82 %. Normal children have better nocturnal saturation profiles than children with adenotonsillar enlargement.

To evaluate the relevance of routine electrocardiographic request in pre-operative work-up of children undergoing adenoidectomy. This is a two year prospective study of children with obstructive adenoid that had adenoidectomy. This is a tertiary hospital based study at the Otorhinolaryngology Department of University College Hospital, Ibadan. Children (B12 years) with clinical and radiological evidence of an obstructive adenoid were investigated. Information obtained with an interviewer assisted questionnaire included the biodata, clinical presentation of the patients, ECG findings, echocardiographic findings, cardiothoracic ratio, palatal airway and ratio of adenoid diameter to the nasopharyngeal diameter. The adenoid volume was measured after adenoidectomy. The results were analyzed using SPSS version 14 and level of statistical significance was P \ 0.05. There were seventy four patients; 45 (60.8%) males and 29 (39.2%) females with a mean age of 38.35 months, S.D ± 30.32 (range 5-144 months). All the patients presented with mouth breathing and recurrent mucopurulent rhinorrhea. Mild snoring was detected in 18 (25%) patients, moderate snoring in 39 (54.17%) patients and severe snoring in 15 (20.83%) patients. Mild apnea was observed in 55 (74.32%) patients and moderate in 19 (25.68%) patients. Only seven (9.46%) patients had abnormal electrocardiographic findings but their ejection fraction on echocardiography ranged from 63 to 72% with a mean value of 68.17%, S.D ± 3.22. Cardiac complications of enlarged obstructive adenoid appear not to be common. Routine preoperative electrocardiography should therefore be restricted to only the high risk patients.