Ambulatory investigation of sleep-disordered breathing

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is under-diagnosed, and attended inpatient sleep studies are resource intensive and inconvenient for the patient; therefore, there is increasing interest in the ambulatory diagnosis of OSAS. Full unattended polysomnography does not confer any advantage over more limited measurements. Ambulatory diagnosis of OSAS with cardiorespiratory polygraphy is suitable for use in patients with a high pre-test probability. Ambulatory monitoring by oximetry or ECG are not recommended by current guidelines, but a number of novel diagnostic modalities show some promise. Further studies are needed to address issues of cost-effectiveness, patient selection and device performance.