EVALUATE YOUR PATIENTS

Do my patients have apnea?

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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?

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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?

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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.

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Overweight BMI

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Neck circumference

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Retrognatia or Micrognatia

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High class on the Mallampati scale

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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.

    How should I treat my patients?

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