STOPBANG versus NOSAS in screening patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Sleep Medicine
• Diagnostic Accuracy

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder with serious health implications.
• Early detection of severe OSA is crucial for effective management and improved patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the diagnostic performance of the STOP-BANG and NoSAS questionnaires in identifying severe OSA.
• To compare the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of both screening tools.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 172 patients with confirmed OSA via polysomnography.
• Participants completed the STOP-BANG and NoSAS questionnaires.
• Statistical analysis evaluated the discriminative value and performance metrics of each questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Severe OSA was diagnosed in 37.2% of patients and associated with male sex, older age, higher BMI, larger neck circumference, and fatigue.
• Both STOP-BANG (AUC=0.61) and NoSAS (AUC=0.64) showed discriminative value for severe OSA.
• STOP-BANG had higher sensitivity (65.2%) while NoSAS had superior specificity (85.6%).

Conclusions:

• NoSAS demonstrates higher specificity, making it valuable for screening specific populations for severe OSA.
• STOP-BANG exhibits greater sensitivity, aiding in the identification of potential severe OSA cases.
• Combining STOP-BANG and NoSAS scores may enhance diagnostic accuracy for severe OSA, leading to better patient management.