title: Evaluation of five different questionnaires for assessing sleep apnea syndrome in a sleep clinic.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Different clinical models and questionnaires have been used to evaluate patients with the highest OSAHS probability.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical utility of five different questionnaires--STOP, STOPBang (SB), Berlin Questionnaire (BQ), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and 4-Variable Screening Tool (4-V) - in a sleep clinic in order to identify patients at risk for OSAHS and to assess the best possible combination of these tools.
  
  
  METHODS
  1853 (74.4% males) patients (mean age 52±14 years; mean body mass index 32.8±7 kg/m2) visiting a sleep clinic were studied retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SB had the highest sensitivity (97.6%), the largest area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) (0.73; 95% CI, 0.7-0.76) and best OR (5.9; 95% CI, 3.6-9.5), but the lowest specificity (12.7%) for AHI > or =15. The 4-V > or = 14 had the highest specificity (74.4%) followed by ESS (67%). BQ had good sensitivity (87%), worse specificity (33%) than 4-V and ESS but better than STOP (13%) and SB (12.7%). The combination of questionnaires did not improve their predictive value.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SB had the highest sensitivity, OR, and AUC, but rather low specificity, and 4-V the highest specificity. The combination of different questionnaires did not improve their predictive value.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Failure Unit, G. Papanikolaou Hospital, Exohi, Thessaloniki, Greece. Electronic address: patakath@yahoo.gr.
authors.forename: Athanasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pataka
authors.affiliation: Sleep Laboratory, Department of Internal Medicine, 'St Paul' General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Euphemia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Daskalopoulou
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Failure Unit, G. Papanikolaou Hospital, Exohi, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kalamaras
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Failure Unit, G. Papanikolaou Hospital, Exohi, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Katalin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fekete Passa
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Failure Unit, G. Papanikolaou Hospital, Exohi, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Parakevi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Argyropoulou
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis*; D056508:Sleep Medicine Specialty / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards
keywords: 4-Variable Screening Tool; Berlin Questionnaire; ESS; Evaluation; STOP; STOPBang