Abstract
With the high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea, there has been an ongoing debate
on what constitutes the “best test” to make the diagnosis of the condition. Diagnostic
strategies can now be based on pretest clinical suspicion. Patients assigned to a
high-suspicion group because of habitual loud snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness,
moderate to severe obesity, and observed apneas during sleep can potentially be diagnosed
by either in-laboratory full polysomnography or a cardiopulmonary recording device
at home. Patients with possible sleep apnea who do not fit into the high-probability
group would be best served in a laboratory setting with full polysomnography using
specialized monitoring devices to assess airflow limitation. Patients who present
with a chief complaint of daytime sleepiness and a low chance of having sleep apnea
might have periodic limb movements during sleep or narcolepsy. These patients would
need full polysomnography in a sleep center potentially with a multiple sleep latency
test the next day.
Key Words:
polysomnography - cardiopulmonary recordings - upper airway resistance syndrome
