In 1996 a conference was held in Berlin (Conference on Sleep in Primary Care) that outlined screening criteria for the diagnosis of the Sleep Apnea Syndrome (SAS). A person considered to be at high risk should undergo a sleep study.
Categories of findings:
(1) snoring behavior
(1a) snoring more than 3 days per week
(2) waketime fatigue and/or sleepiness - at least one of the following:
(2a) waketime sleepiness more than 3 days per week
(2b) waketime tiredness more than 3 days per week
(2c) falling asleep while driving (without an alternative explanation)
(3) obesity (BMI > 30 kg per square meter) and/or hypertension
Number of Categories with Positive Findings
Risk of SAS
0 or 1
low risk
2 or 3
high risk
where:
• On page 486 snoring behavior is defined as having 2 or more positive responses about snoring, while in Table 2 page 488 only 1 suitable snoring question is listed.
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