RESUMO
Background: Obstructive sleep apnea affects a consistent percentage of the population, and only a minority of patients have been diagnosed and treated because of a discrepancy between resources available for diagnosis and the epidemiology of a disorder possibly affecting nearly one billion people in the world. Aim: We conducted a study to compare a standard home respiratory monitoring system (Nox T3) with a novel device (Airgo™) consisting of an elastic band and a small recorder, light, comfortable for the patient, and low-cost complete with automatic analysis of the data that produces a screening report indicating the type and severity of sleep respiratory disorder. Patients and Results: We examined 120 patients, reduced to 118 for technical problems. The mean (SD) age of the patients is 55.7 ± 13 years, their BMI is 27.8 ± 4.3 kg/m2, and their AHI is 22 ± 22 events/h. Patients belong to all the different severity rates of OSA, with a percentage of them classified as free of respiratory disorders. The Airgo™ showed excellent agreement with the results of the gold standard, reporting high levels of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predicted value, and accuracy. Conclusion: Airgo™ is a reliable tool to screen patients with suspected sleep respiratory disorders, well tolerated by the patient based on totally automatic analysis and reporting system, leading to more efficient use of doctor's and clinician's time and resources and extending the opportunity to diagnose more possible candidates for treatment.
RESUMO
Obstructive Sleep Apnea syndrome (OSAS) is largely prevalent among the general adult population, particularly among obese subjects. Diurnal somnolence is a characteristic feature of OSAS, one that can interfere on daily life of the patients and also on his/her work-related activities. Aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of OSAS, its symptoms and its therapy with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) may have on work-related activities. Fourty-eight subjects were studied, all > 18 years old and in a work-related age (< 65 years for men, < 60 years for women). There were 34 males and 14 females, 38 actively working, 3 unemployed, 7 not actively working. Before diagnosis the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was 12 +/- 4, after the use of CPAP it was 4 +/- 4 (p< 0.001), the Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) before CPAP use was 44 +/- 24, after CPAP use 4 +/- 4 (p< 0.001). CPAP compliance was very good (mean hours of CPAP/night 5 +/- 2). At yearly follow-up, work activity was confirmed in all patients, as all employed patients were still working. Our data seem to indicate that not only OSAS interferes with working performance, mainly due to OSAS-related diurnal somnolence, but also that appropriate CPAP therapy, reinforced with educational activities and followed after one year, is able to ameliorate OSAS-related symptoms, potential cause of inefficiency an occupational risk at work.
