STOP-BANG Questionnaire as a Screening Tool for Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea by Unattended Portable Monitoring Sleep Study

Abstract

PURPOSE: Unattended portable monitoring sleep study is widely used for diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The STOP-BANG questionnaire is a well validated screening tool for diagnosis of OSA by an in-lab sleep study. However, performance of STOP-BANG as a screening tool for diagnosis of OSA in patients undergoing portable monitoring sleep study has not been well validated. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients older than 18 years who had unattended portable monitoring sleep study done at a VA medical center between June 2012 and October 2014. STOP-BANG questionnaire and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) were routinely done prior to study. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) various STOP-BANG score thresholds were calculated for diagnosis of OSA defined by Apnea Hyponea Index (AHI) ≥5.