Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is related to postoperative complications and is a common disorder. Most patients with sleep apnea are, however, undiagnosed, and there is a need for simple screening tools. We aimed to investigate whether STOP-Bang and oxygen desaturation index can identify subjects with OSA.
In this prospective, observational multicenter trial, 449 adult patients referred to a sleep clinic for evaluation of OSA were investigated with ambulatory polygraphy, including pulse oximetry and the STOP-Bang questionnaire in 4 Swedish centers. The STOP-Bang score is the sum of 8 positive answers to Snoring, Tiredness, Observed apnea, high blood Pressure, Body mass index >35 kg/m, Age >50 years, Neck circumference >40 cm, and male Gender.
The optimal STOP-Bang cutoff score was 6 for moderate and severe sleep apnea, defined as apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) =15, and the sensitivity and specificity for this score were 63% (95% CI, 0.55-0.70) and 69% (95% CI, 0.64-0.75), respectively. A STOP-Bang score of 15 and a STOP-Bang score of =6 had a specificity of 91% (95% CI, 0.87-0.94) for an AHI >15. The items contributing most to the STOP-Bang were the Bang items. There was a positive correlation between AHI versus STOP-Bang and between AHI versus oxygen desaturation index, Spearman ? 0.50 (95% CI, 0.43-0.58) and 0.96 (95% CI, 0.94-0.97), respectively.
STOP-Bang and pulse oximetry can be used to screen for sleep apnea. A STOP-Bang score of