Pre-operative screening for obstructive sleep apnoea

摘要

Sleep disordered breathing; especially obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA); has a high and increasing prevalence. Depending on the apnoea and hypopnoea scoring criteria used; and depending on the sex and age of the subjects investigated; prevalence varies between 3% and 49% of the general population. These varying prevalences need to be reflected when considering screening for OSA. OSA is a cardiovascular risk factor and patients are at risk when undergoing medical interventions such as surgery. Screening for OSA before anaesthesia and surgical interventions is increasingly considered. Therefore; methods for screening and the rationale for screening for OSA are reviewed in this study.