Comparative Analysis of Sleepstrip Versus Laboratory Polysomnography in the Diagnosis of Sleep Disordered Breathing

Kim, Jae Ho; Yoo, Keun Sik; Choi, Seung Hyo; Kim, Jong Chan; Lee, Yoon Sik

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Polysomnography is regarded as the gold standard in the diagnosis of sleep disordered breathing, although it is too expensive and uncomfortable to use. There has been a need for more simple and cost-effective techniques to screen large populations for suspected sleep disordered breathing. The aim of this study was to compare sleep parameters between Sleepstrip and laboratory polysomnography in the diagnosis of sleep disordered breathing. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A prospective study was undertaken in 20 patients in whom polysomnography and Sleepstrip were performed simultaneously before surgery from January 2001 to March 2001. Sleepstrip monitored the patients' respiration during sleep, analyzed respiration patterns in real time, and displayed the computed apnea hypopnea index (AHI) on its built-in display the following morning.
RESULTS
The correlation between respiratory disturbance index (RDI) of polysomnography and AHI of Sleepstrip was 0.661 (p<.01). When the polysomnography threshold for a positive diagnosis for sleep disordered breathing was set at RDI=20 and the threshold for Sleepstrip 5, sensitivity and specificity of the device were found to be 0.875 and 0.833, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Availability of Sleepstrip at a fraction of the cost of a whole night polysomnographic recordings may greatly facilitate the clinical diagnosis of large majorities of yet undiagnosed sleep disordered breathing. Sleepstrip may also prove useful for large scale epidemiological studies and for long term follow-up's of patients after surgery.