[Specifics of identifying patients with sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) in Romania]

After 7 years after the opening of the first somnography laboratory in Romania and screening of over 700 patients addressed for identification or therapy of SAS we managed to compare the group of pts with this disease to those in which the disease was not confirmed. Usually, disease was diagnosed in severe stages, there was a dominance of association with some well known risk factors: obesity, diabetes mellitus, male sex. Our study demonstrates a lack of education in patient level but also in physician level to provide CPAP as treatment due to lack of coverage by the Medical Insurance and high price of this kind of ventilatory assistance.