Self assessment of daytime sleepiness: patient versus partner.
BACKGROUND
Patients with the sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (SAHS) and their spouses often differ in their assessment of the patient's sleepiness. A study was therefore undertaken to investigate whether either the patient's or partner's rating on the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) was better related to illness severity.


METHODS
Nocturnal variables (apnoeas+hypopnoeas/hour (AHI) and arousals/hour) and patient and partner ESS scores were compared in 103 new patients attending the sleep clinic.


RESULTS
Mean patient and partner ESS scores were not different. In the whole population neither patient nor partner ESS variables correlated with AHI or arousal frequency. In the patients with SAHS (AHI > or = 15), partner ESS correlated weakly with AHI, but patient ESS did not.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that neither patient nor partner ESS ratings are strong predictors of SAHS severity.
Department of Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Royal Infirmary, UK.
R N
RN
Kingshott
P J
PJ
Sime
H M
HM
Engleman
N J
NJ
Douglas
D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000150:complications*; D012894:Sleep Stages