Determining the risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) using STOP-BANG Questionnaire – An Observational Study

Abstract

Background: Patients with diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and those with undiagnosed OSA have greater chances for adverse dental effects. The early identification of OSA patients can help alleviate associated adverse dental effects. STOP-BANG questionnaire is an efficient, reliable and produce valid assessments in the diagnosis of OSA. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the risk of OSA using STOP-BANG questionnaire. Materials and method: Patients who reported to the departmental OPD were screened regarding snoring and difficulty in breathing during sleep. Those who presented with the above clinical indications were distributed the STOP-BANG questionnaire. A total of 30 patients with OSA were selected after screening. Out of the total sample, 13patients were at high risk, 7 at intermediate risk and 10 at low risk of OSA. Results: The overall mean age of the studied patients was 45.63±8.62years. 33.34% constituted of low risk, 23.33% of intermediate and 43.33% constituted of high risk OSA patients. The cutoff point of STOP-BANG questionnaire for the diagnosis of OSA patients in this study was 2.5 with the power of study being 80% and 95% confidence interval.
Conclusion: The results of this study support that a correlation exists between STOP-BANG score and the severity of OSA. The STOP-BANG score can be used to not only identify cases with any degree of OSA but also prioritize the ones who are more likely to have moderate to severe disease. Therefore STOP-BANG questionnaire should be considered as an optimal screening tool and that the score can be used for making more reasoned clinical decisions.