A Validation of Stop-bang Score and ESS in Presumptive Sleep Apnoeic Individuals

Background: Worldwide, the prevalence of sleep apnea is increasing. In contrast to the gold standard test overnight polysomnography, the STOP-BANG (Snoring, Tiredness, Observed Choking, Pressure, Body Mass Index (BMI), Age, Neck girth, and Gender) Score and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) are available as outpatient assessment scores to suspect and estimate the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Objective: The purpose of the article was to validate and establish a link between the polysomnography variables STOP-BANG Score, ESS, and Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI).

Methods: Patients who complained of severe daytime sleepiness and were referred to the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at the BJMC in Ahmedabad between April 2017 and December 2020 underwent nocturnal polysomnography following a physical examination in the outpatient department.

Results: Of the 200 participants in our study, 137 (68.5%) were men and 63 (31.5%) were women, for a male to female ratio of 2.17:1. The averages for the neck circumference, ESS, STOP-BANG Score, and AHI were 32.78 kg/m2, 39.49 cm, 14.48 cm, 5.34 cm, and 48.22 cm, respectively. The number of patients was broken down into mild (16%), moderate (18%), and severe (146%) categories. The neck girth (r = 0.68), ESS (r = 0.73), and STOP-BANG Score (r = 0.55) had significant Pearson correlations (p 0.0001) with the AHI.

Conclusion: The most typical sign of OSA in people is snoring. According to the study, there is a direct association between BMI, neck circumference, ESS >10, and STOP-BANG Score >3 with the degree of OSA as seen on polysomnography.