title: Pre-operative screening for obstructive sleep apnoea.
abstract: Sleep disordered breathing, especially obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), has a high and increasing prevalence. Depending on the apnoea and hypopnoea scoring criteria used, and depending on the sex and age of the subjects investigated, prevalence varies between 3% and 49% of the general population. These varying prevalences need to be reflected when considering screening for OSA. OSA is a cardiovascular risk factor and patients are at risk when undergoing medical interventions such as surgery. Screening for OSA before anaesthesia and surgical interventions is increasingly considered. Therefore, methods for screening and the rationale for screening for OSA are reviewed in this study.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Pulmonary Medicine and Multidisciplinary Sleep Disorders Centre, Antwerp University Hospital and University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium johan.verbraecken@uza.be.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verbraecken
authors.affiliation: Dept of Sleep Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine and Allergology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hedner
authors.affiliation: Sleep Medicine Center, Dept of Cardiology CC11, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Penzel
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D057189:Checklist; D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018579:Patient Selection; D017286:Polysomnography; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012119:Respiration; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014850:Waiting Lists