Sleep breathing disorders screening in chilean miners

Abstract

Introduction Sleep Breathing Disorders (SBD) constitute a risk factor for workplace accidents whose consequences have cost in human lives and environmental damage. Since they can be aggravated in high altitude its identification in mining workers is crucial. Objectives: to establish the relation between a screening practiced with night pulse oximetry, and Epworth and Berlin questionnaires in patients clinically suspicious of SDB and polysomnography results, performed in a high altitude chilean mine setting. Materials and methods A group of 100 consecutive mining workers had an all-night oxymetry done at their work place, (a 2600 meters high camp); those with abnormal oximetries had a PSG performed at the same setting, as part of a ”Prevention of fatigue and sleep disorders” program. They also answered the Epworth scale and Berlin questionnaire. Results 78% of the workers had abnormal oxymetries and in 74 of them (94%) the PSG showed sleep apnea of different severity; in 24 of these patients (32%) it was related to posture. The average Epworth score was 4.28 while for the Berlin questionnaire it was 2.27. Conclusion All nigh oximetry is a reliable predictor of SDB as shown by the PSG in chilean high altitude mine workers. SBD is highly prevalent in these type of patients. Epworth and Berlin questionnaires failed to suggest hypersomnolence or SDB; it is speculated that this latter finding can be explained by workers fear to lose their jobs if they recognize the presence of hypersomnolence or witnessed apneas. Acknowledgement We thank technical personnel support for this research.