Comparison of American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) versus Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) polysomnography (PSG) scoring rules on AHI and eligibility for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment

摘要

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an important clinical condition. Eligibility for treatment usually depends on disease severity, measured as the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), equal to the sum of apneas plus hypopneas per hour of sleep. There is divergence on scoring rules for hypopneas between the recommendations of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the Center for Medicare Services (CMS), the latter being more restrictive. Thus, patients could be eligible for treatment under AASM rules, but not under CMS rules.