Validation of the POLY-MESAM seven-channel ambulatory recording unit.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the recording capabilities of the POLY-MESAM (PM) unit (MAP; Martinsried, Germany), an American Sleep Disorders Association level III system, and to compare it with simultaneous 12-channel polysomnography in the sleep laboratory.


RESULTS
Fifty-three patients (49 men and 4 women) with obstructive sleep-related breathing disorders of varying severity were included. The apnea-hypopnea indexes (AHIs) obtained using the two methods differed significantly from each other, although the correlation was close. The PM unit produced false-negative results in patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The sensitivity of the PM unit in detecting patients with an AHI > 10 was 92%, while the specificity was 96.3%.


CONCLUSIONS
The correlation of AHIs obtained with polysomnography and with the PM unit is close. However, in some cases, the PM may underestimate OSA parameters. The PM unit produces false-negative results in patients with mild to moderate OSA. While inpatient polysomnography remains the "gold standard," the PM unit may provide an inexpensive alternative in some special cases.
Verse
T
T
University of Ulm, Otorhinolaryngological Clinic Section for Rhinology und Rhonchopathies, Germany. thomas.verse@medizin.uni-ulm.de
Pirsig
W
W
Junge-Hülsing
B
B
Kroker
B
B
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis*