Practicality of the Sleepstrip in postal screening for obstructive sleep apnoea

The SleepStrip, a disposable screening device for the detection of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), which displays an estimated apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHISS) was posted, with instructions, to 48 patients referred for sleep study for suspected OSA. The patients subsequently underwent a cardiorespiratory sleep study from which the AHIE was derived. Thirty patients (63%) returned the SleepStrip, the device displayed an AHISS in 22 patients (73%), of which 17 (57%) was deemed valid by the device. Twelve of the 30 patients who returned the SleepStrip had an AHIE > or = 20 on the detailed sleep study. Of these, the SleepStrip recording was valid in seven of which only two had an AHISS > or = 20. We concluded that the SleepStrip was not suitable for unsupervised postal screening for OSA.