EVALUATE YOUR PATIENTS
Do my patients have apnea?
What you need to know
Different epidemiological studies carried out by reference hospitals worldwide have shown that the OSAHS:
Has a prevalence of 5% in the world population.
It is a disease that affects a higher percentage of men than women.
This prevalence occurs in the general adult population above 40 years of age, being more pronounced in those over 65 or in women from the menopause onwards.
According to the data, many of your patients could have sleep apnea and it is therefore important that you play a proactive role in detecting this sleep disorder.
OSAHS EVALUATION
Steps to evaluate my patients
Sleep apnea has been researched for years by experts who have managed to determine what type of assessment would allow potential apneic patients to be detected easily and quickly through physical or behavioural tests on the patients.
TO BE CONSIDERED
What are their symptoms?
Certain factors may indicate early sleep apnea.
Excessive daytime sleepiness in sedentary situations
Behavior and Cognition disorders
Cardiorespiratory disorders
Inflammatory and metabolic disorders
Serious lack of rest after a night’s sleep
Breathing pauses of 10 seconds or more during sleep
Morning headaches
Snoring as the most striking symptom
TO BE CONSIDERED
Do they suffer from risk factors?
Sleep apnea can affect both adults and children, but there are certain risk factors that make certain patients more likely to suffer from it.
Excess weight
Wide neck circumference
Narrow airways
Being a man
Being senior
Having a history of apnea in the family
Consumption of alcohol
Consume some kind of sedative or relaxant
Smoking
Having nasal congestion (due to anatomical problem or allergies)
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING
Perform a physical exam
To make a diagnosis of sleep apnea, potential patients revealed by the screening tests must be subjected to a physical examination and a Sleep Study, wherein attention will be paid to the quality and depth of sleep.
Overweight BMI
Neck circumference
Retrognatia or Micrognatia
High class on the Mallampati scale
Descended or Narrow Palate
The physical examination should examine the patient’s nose, mouth and throat for characteristics that commonly occur in patients with apnea.
SCREENING TEST
Download Tests
Begin your evaluation with the most recognized tests in the field to determine whether or not a diagnostic test should be performed:
STOP BANG and EPWORTH, are two useful and effective tool for the detection, according to the sleepiness that the patient presents, of sleep apnea syndrome.
HOW DO I DIAGNOSE MY PATIENTS?
Diagnostic methods
Making a diagnosis of sleep apnea requires that potential patients who are detected undergo a pre-evaluation under a physical exam and sleep study to address the quality and depth of the patient’s sleep.
A COMFORTABLE SLEEP STUDY
Cardiorespiratory polygraph
Cardiorespiratory Polygraph or PCR must be prescribed by a specialist and can be performed either in a Sleep Unit or at home.
Relaxed sleep is fundamental in obtaining good and reliable results and carrying out the test at the patient’s home is a great advantage, as it will be performed in a more comfortable environment.
Although it does not allow a record of neurophysiological variables, it is a good alternative due to its high precision.
The variations in heart rate
- The presence of snoring
- Muscle contractions during sleep
The air flow
- Blood oxygen saturation
How is this test performed?
Patients should take the equipment home to perform the test themselves according to the instructions of the responsible technician. The polygraph will store all the parameters, generating a report that will later be reviewed by the specialist for final diagnosis.