Sleep apnea in adults: How accurate is clinical prediction?

Abstract

Questionnaires, physical examination, and clinical prediction rules estimate the pretest probability of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), but are not specific enough to make the diagnosis (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, meta- analyses, prospective cross-sectional studies). The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is a reliable measure of daytime sleepiness (SOR: B, factor analysis). The Berlin Questionnaire, Mallampati score, and truncal obesity can be used to assess pretest probability of OSAHS (SOR: B, multivariate analyses, cross-sectional studies).