Utilidad de las señales de oximetría y flujo aéreo en el diagnóstico simplificado de la apnea obstructiva del sueño. Diseño de un test automático domiciliario

Abstract

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a respiratory disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of total (apnea) or partial (hypopnea) absence of airflow during sleep. Recent epidemiological studies estimate the prevalence of OSA at 10% in men and 3% in middleaged women. Untreated OSA produces a significant decrease in quality of life and is associated with the main causes of mortality in industrialized countries, such as arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular accidents, diabetes and cancer. However, OSA is considered an underdiagnosed chronic disease. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the most common therapeutic option, being non-invasive, efficient and cost-effective, so favoring the diagnostic process is essential.Nocturnal polysomnography (PSG) in a specialized sleep unit is the reference diagnostic method. The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) derived from PSG makes it possible to rule out or confirm the pathology and determine its severity. However, PSG has low availability and accessibility, being costly and time consuming for the healthcare system and intrusive for the patients. These major limitations contributed to overload the available resources leading to long waiting lists, which reduces its effectiveness as the only diagnostic technique for OSA. There is a significant problem of accessibility of patients to sleep laboratories, which leads to a significant delayed access to the diagnosis and treatment resources of the disease. Consequently, in recent years there has been a significant demand xxii aéreo (FA) y enfoque de doble canal SpO2+FA.