Diagnosing Obstructive Sleep Apnea

The American College of Physicians recommends polysomnography over portable monitors.

Sponsoring Organization: American College of Physicians (ACP)

Target Audience: Internists, family physicians, and other primary care clinicians

Background and Objective

Despite the relatively high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), experts still disagree on the optimal approach to its diagnosis. The ACP has issued a new guideline on diagnosing OSA.

Key Points

For diagnosing OSA, polysomnography (PSG) is the gold standard; however, it must be performed in a sleep lab and is costly. An alternative is a portable monitor, but available portable monitors do not measure all relevant parameters: Some are unable to distinguish between central and obstructive apneas. Evidence was insufficient to determine whether questionnaires are an effective…

Reviewing Author

Jamaluddin Moloo, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Grant / Research supportColorado Health Foundation