[The evaluation of the severity of nocturnal oxygen desaturation of patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome].
OBJECTIVE
Oxygen desaturation is common among patients with sleep apnea. This study was designed to evaluate the methods used to express the severity of oxygen desaturation in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome.


METHODS
The oxygen saturation data of 215 patients [suspected of having obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)] studied at the Sleep Centre of Peking Union Medical College Hospital were evaluated. Apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and the following conventional indices of oxygen desaturation were compared: average oxygen saturation (AO(2)), lowest oxygen saturation (LO(2)), oxygen desaturation index (ODI), average desaturation and the percent of the total time with oxygen saturation level lower than 90% (T < 90%).


RESULTS
There was a significant correlation between the oxygen saturation values measured by any method (AO(2), LO(2), ODI, average desaturation, T < 90%) and the severity of sleep AHI (r = -0.610, 0.983, -0.789, 0.782, 0.821, respectively, P = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The best method of expressing the severity of oxygen desaturation in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome needs the combination of several conventional indices of oxygen desaturation (lowest oxygen saturation, oxygen desaturation index, and the percent of the total time with oxygen saturation level lower than 90%).
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing 100730, China. xiaoyipumch@yahoo.com.cn
Yi
Y
Xiao
Xu
X
Zhong
Rong
R
Huang
Guo-Qiang
GQ
Sun
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007040:Hypoventilation / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010092:Oximetry / Q000379:methods; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012894:Sleep Stages; D013577:Syndrome
D010100:Oxygen