L. Oliveira

Clinical suspicion and diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea: a retrospective study

Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an underdiagnosed syndrome with several associated comorbidities. Ambulatory cardiorespiratory polygraphy (CRP) is an accessible and reliable tool for diagnosis of OSA in patients with high clinical suspicion. Objectives To evaluate demographic data, symptoms, comorbidities and CRP results of patients of a central hospital. Methods Retrospective study conducted among patients who underwent ambulatory CRP over a 6-month period in a central hospital. Medical records were reviewed to collect data on patients’ demographic characteristics, symptoms, comorbidities and CRP reports. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to describe the sample. Results 193 patients enrolled the study (65%males, 35%females; mean age 61.9y) mainly referred from Pulmonology, Otorhinolaryngology and Endocrinology outpatient settings (40.9%, 23.3% and 14.0% respectively). Major reported symptoms were chronic snoring (98.4%), witnessed apneas (58.5%) and excessive daytime sleepiness (41.5%).The mean number of comorbidities per patient was 4.7. Hypertension (73.6%), dyslipidemia (67.4%), obesity (62.2%), rhinosinusitis (34.2%) and anxiety-depression disorder (34.2%) were the most frequent. 47.2% of patients were former or current smokers. OSA was diagnosed in 69.9% of patients, 28.1% of which were classified as severe. The mean apnea-hypopnea index in OSA patients was 25.1/h; mean total recorded time with oxygen saturation below 90% was 22.3%. Conclusions In our sample, the majority of patients with clinical suspicion of OSA had this diagnosis confirmed after performing CRP. This reflects a greater medical awareness about symptoms suggestive of OSA and associated comorbidities, enhancing diagnosis and treatment of this syndrome.