Clinical Value of ApneaLink(TM) in the Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Overnight polysomnography (PSG) in a sleep laboratory is the standard method of confirming the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, PSG is expensive, time-consuming, uneasily accessible and labor-intensive, thus the need for ambulatory screening tests. The aim of this study was to find out the usefulness of ApneaLink(TM) by comparing respiratory parameters derived from ApneaLink(TM) with those of PSG. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A prospective study was undertaken using 40 patients for whom polysomnography and ApneaLink(TM) were performed. Apnea index (AI), hypopnea index (HI), and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) from ApneaLink(TM) were obtained automatically and those from PSG were scored. All parameters were compared between PSG and ApneaLink(TM). RESULTS: The correlation coefficience of AI, HI, and AHI, which are all attainable by both PSG and ApneaLink(TM), were 0.73, 0.53, and 0.78, respectively. The results of PSG and ApneaLink(TM) showed no statistical difference. The positive predictive value was 0.9, sensitivity 91% and specificity 73% in ApneaLink(TM). CONCLUSION: ApneaLink(TM) might be clinically useful as a screening device of OSA and as a follow-up study of patients after surgery based on its high correlation with PSG and positive predictive value.