Determining the Priority of Polysomnography in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Objective: The growing awareness of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has resulted in a backlog in sleep laboratories. This study aimed to assess the severity of OSAS using anthropometric and cardiac parameters before polysomnography (PSG), helping to prioritize patients for PSG. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 91 patients with OSAS symptoms were included from an accredited sleep laboratory in a research hospital. Demographic and clinical data, including body mass index (BMI) and neck circumference (NC), were collected. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was used to assess sleepiness, while transthoracic echocardiography measured cardiac parameters, including maximal pulmonary artery pressure (PAP maximum), interventricular septum thickness (IVST), aortic root diameter (ARD), right atrium diameter (RAD), and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels. Based on PSG results, patients were categorized into non-OSAS/mild OSAS [Apnea-hypopnea Index (AHI) <15] or moderate/severe OSAS (AHI ≥15) groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: Of the 91 patients, 49 were in the moderate/severe OSAS group and 42 in the non-OSAS/mild OSAS group. Statistically significant differences were observed between the groups regarding ESS, BMI, NC, BNP, IVST, ARD, RAD, and PAP max (p<0.05). Cut-off values were determined for each parameter. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that BMI, PAP max, and BNP were significant predictors of OSAS severity (p<0.05). Conclusion: BMI, BNP, and PAP max were identified as the key parameters in predicting OSAS severity. These factors can be used to prioritize patients for PSG, improving the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment.