Author(s): Abolhassan Halvani, Mohammad Mahdi Malek Sabet, Sareh Rafatmagham, Seyed Mohammad Amin Hashemipour, Abdolhosein Alimo-hammadi, Amir Houshang Mehrparvar, Mohsen Mirshamsi
Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been a major subject of interestin medical science for the past 50 years. It is also a major cause of death and disability, and the most common pathologic cause of daytime sleepiness. Currently, the gold standard for the diagnosis of OSA is polysomnography, but researchers have long sought easier and more affordable alternative methods for the diagnosis of this condition. This study aimed to determine whether the results of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) are accurate enough to be recommended as alternatives to polysomnography. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 90 patients with suspected OSA at Farrokhi hospital, Yazd, Iran. ESS and BQ were filled by the patients, and data was analyzed by ANOVA, chi-square test, and Fisher’s exact test SPSS ver.17. Results: Of the 90 patients being studied, 69 (76.6%) were male and 21 (23.3%) female. The mean age of patients was 48±12.4 years, mean BMI 31.5±5.6 kg/m2, mean neck circumference 40.8±5.1 cm, mean abdominal circumference 107.2±12.7 cm, mean night spo2 (peripheral oxygen saturation) 89.6±5.5, mean desaturation index 33.1±23.7, and mean total snoring duration 34.3±22.3. Also, the mean ESS score and AHI of the patients were 10.6±5.6 and 30.3±23.5, respectively. Conclusion: The results suggested that if used appropriately, and in combination with clinical evidence, ESS and BQ can serve as effective instruments for screening patients who need further examination with polysomnography.