Stop bang questionnaire: Practical approach to diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in roncopathic subjects

A correlation was established between snoring and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Although this association is highly prevalent in the general population, OSAS remains largely undiagnosed. The STOP-BANG Questionnaire (SBQ) consists of simple questions with dichotomous answers (yes/no). It is utilized for the preoperative clinical assessment of anesthesiological risk in patients with suspected OSAS, and positive response to >= 3 questions reinforces the diagnostic suspicion. The SBQ survey during an ENT visit in a patient with a rupture may be a reliable, fast, concise, and easy-to-use screening tool to diagnose OSAS. The present study aimed to evaluate the predictability of SBQ during an ENT visit and compare it with the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in patients undergoing nocturnal cardiorespiratory monitoring, a gold standard for the diagnosis of OSAS. A population of roncopathic subjects was evaluated using SBQ, ENT assessment, and night-time cardiorespiratory monitoring. SBQ was administered by the ENT specialist during the first visit in the presence of the bed partner. A total of 98 snoring subjects were evaluated. A significant linear correlation was established between AHI and the number of positive responses to SBQ. The present study demonstrated that SBQ can be employed for the diagnosis of OSAS in roncopathic population. Also, a linear correlation was found between the SBQ score and the OSAS grade based on the AHI.