Abstract
A full overnight polysomnography (PSG) is most important for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). However, the number of special clinics for sleep disorder is limited because of economical and manpower's problems. So we cannot respond fully to patients with severe OSAS who require prompt diagnosis and therapy. We have actively performed portable PSG (Pulsleep LS-100; Fukuda Densi Co., Ltd. Japan) to patients who complained of severe snoring, sleepiness in the daytime and apnea during sleep. Eighty-seven patients who had been suspicious of OSAS were enrolled (62men; mean age56.4yr, 25women; mean age60.1yr). Forty seven percent of patients had the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI)≥30 analyzed by LS-100. Diagnosis of OSAS for patients with AHI≥20 relatively easy by combination of AHI, SPO 2 data and clinical symptoms. We decided the criteria for the introduction of therapy of OSAS according to analyzed data by LS-100. (1. AHI≥20 or AHI 5-19 with severe sleepiness. 2. Apnea and/or hypopnea correspondence with significant decrease of SPO 2. 3. SPO 2≥95%/all measurement time are less than 80%.) At least one of these items meet the criteria, some therapy for OSAS were selected. Nasal CPAP were usually introduced to patients with AHI≥20. Eighty six percent of patients who had continued nCPAP therapy more than 3 months demonstrated clinical improvement. Moreover, 10patients who were taken LS-100 with nCPAP for the judgment of effects demonstrated significant improvement of AHI and SPO 2 data. In conclusion, LS-100 could be useful for evaluation of prompt diagnosis and decision of therapy for especially patients with severe OSAS. Portable PSG may play an important role for diagnosis and therapy of patients with OSAS who have increased during recent years, if we could know well the characteristics and weak points of portable PSG.
