Simplifying the Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Allan I. Pack
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1993)

Editorials15 September 1993Simplifying the Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep ApneaAllan I. Pack, MB, CHb, PhDAllan I. Pack, MB, CHb, PhDUniversity of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-119-6-199309150-00016 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail A recent Wisconsin study [1, 2] has shown that obstructive sleep apnea is an important public health problem. Questionnaires were mailed to state employees about snoring, witnessed apneas, and the like. Sleep studies were done on all patients who were habitual snorers and on 25% of nonhabitual snorers. The results indicated that 4% of middle-aged men and 2% of middle-aged women met the minimum diagnostic criteria for the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome [2].This prevalence suggests that the syndrome is frequently undiagnosed, and it raises questions about how the condition should be identified. The current standard of practice in the ...References1. Phillipson EA. Sleep apneaa major public health problem (Editorial). N Engl J Med. 1993; 328:1271-3. Google Scholar2. Young T, Palta M, Dempsey J, Skatrud J, Weber S, Badr S. The occurrence of sleep-disordered breathing among middle-aged adults. N Engl J Med. 1993; 328:1230-5. Google Scholar3. Indications and standards for cardiopulmonary sleep studies. American Thoracic Society. Medical Section of the American Lung Association. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1989; 139:559-68. Google Scholar4. British Thoracic Society: Facilities for the diagnosis and treatment of abnormal breathing during sleep including nocturnal ventilation. 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Am Rev Respir Dis. 1993; 147: 50-3. Google Scholar11. Series F, Marc I, Cormier Y, La Forge J. Utility of nocturnal home oximetry for case finding in patients with suspected sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome. Ann Intern Med. 1993; 119:449-53. Google Scholar12. Davies RJ, Ali NJ, Stradling JR. Neck circumference and other clinical features in the diagnosis of the obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. Thorax. 1992; 47:101-5. Google Scholar13. Stoohs R, Guilleminault C. MESAM 4: an ambulatory device for the detection of patients at risk for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Chest. 1992; 101:1221-7. Google Scholar14. Redline S, Tosteson T, Boucher MA, Millman RP. Measurement of sleep-related breathing disturbances in epidemiologic studies. Assessment of the validity and reproducibility of a portable monitoring device. Chest. 1991; 100:1281-6. Google Scholar15. Iber C, O'Brien C, Schluter J, Davies S, Leatherman J, Mahowald M. Single night studies in obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep. 1991; 14: 383-5. Google Scholar16. Burk JR, Lucas EA, Axe JR, Behbehani K, Yen F-C. Auto-CPAP in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea: a new approach. Sleep Res. 1992; 21:182. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Allan I. Pack, MB, CHb, PhDAffiliations: University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104.Corresponding Author: Allan I. Pack, MB, ChB, PhD, Center for Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology, 991 Maloney Building, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoUtility of Nocturnal Home Oximetry for Case Finding in Patients with Suspected Sleep Apnea Hypopnea Syndrome Frederic Series , Isabelle Marc , Yvon Cormier , and Jacques La Forge Metrics Cited byWaist-To-Hip Ratio Predicts Abnormal Overnight Oximetry in Men Independent of Body Mass IndexEffect of Amplitude Criteria on Operating Characteristic of Detection for OSAH Events with Oxygen SaturationHeart failure and sleep apnoea: To sleep perchance to dreamUse of Ambulatory Overnight Oximetry to Investigate Sleep Apnea in a General Internal Medicine PracticeOximeter PerformanceInterpretation of Home Oximetry TracingsDIAGNOSING SLEEP APNEA IN DENTAL PATIENTSValidación de estudios polisomnográficos de mitad de la noche en el síndrome de apneas/hipoapneas durante el sueñoNocturnal Pulse Oximetry as an Abbreviated Testing Modality for Pediatric Obstructive Sleep ApneaDiagnostic Approaches to Childhood Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypopnea SyndromeGastric Surgery and Bariatric ProceduresPoligrafía respiratoria en el diagnóstico del síndrome de apneas obstructivas durante el sueñoFatigue in multiple sclerosis is not due to sleep apnoeaEvaluation of sleep disordered breathing with unattended recording: the Nightwatch SystemUtilidad del análisis visual de la oximetría nocturna como método de cribado en enfermos con sospecha clínica de SAOSAccuracy of Oximetry for Detection of Respiratory Disturbances in Sleep Apnea SyndromeSnoringAlternativas a la polisomnografía convencional en el diagnóstico y tratamiento del síndrome de apneas durante el sueñoPulse oximetry - clinical implications and recent technical developments 15 September 1993Volume 119, Issue 6Page: 528-529KeywordsApneaContinuous positive airway pressureElectroencephalographyElectromyographyOxygenResearch laboratoriesSleepSleep apneaSleep deprivationSpecificity ePublished: 15 August 2000 Issue Published: 15 September 1993 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1993 by American College of Physicians. 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