Because sleep apnea sufferers are at an increased risk for post-surgical complications, a team of Canadian Anesthesiologists has developed a very brief sleep apnea screening tool that can quickly be administered to all patients during preoperative interviews. The screening tool, known as STOP, consists of 4 questions:
Do you Snore loudly?
Do you often feel Tired, fatigued, or sleepy during the day?
Has anyone Observed you stop breathing during sleep?
Do you have or are you being treated for high blood Pressure?
A patient who answers yes to two or more questions is considered to be at high risk for sleep apnea. In an initial study, the questionnaire was found to have an 80 % sensitivity for those patients suffering from the highest level of sleep apnea-hypopnea. When combined with other risk factors for sleep apnea, such as body mass index, age, neck circumference, and gender, the sensitivity rose to virtually 100 % for the highest levels of sleep apnea-hypopnea.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, you could be placing yourself at risk for serious postoperative complications, complications that can be prepared against if you know about your condition beforehand. If you suspect you may have sleep apnea, please contact the Snoring and Sleep Apnea Treatment Center today to set up your free sleep apnea consultation.