Abstract
BackgroundThe aim of our study was to validate a Greek translation of the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) and to explore whether this screening questionnaire could be used to help identify primary care patients at greater risk of having OSAS.MethodsWe recruited 189 patients visiting a primary health care setting on the island of Crete, Greece. They all completed the Greek Version of the BQ. Patients were then referred to a Sleep Disorders Unit for evaluation of suspected sleep-disordered breathing.ResultsA PSG study was performed in 129 of the 189 subjects (68.3%). BQ identified 74.4% (n = 96) of the patients as high-risk for OSAS and the remaining 25.6% (n = 33) as low-risk. The sensitivity and specificity of BQ for OSAS diagnosis were 76% and 40%, respectively, for an apnoea–hypopnoea index (AHI) ≥5 per hour but <15 per hour, 84% and 61% for an AHI ≥15 per hour but ≤30 per hour, and 79% and 39% for an AHI >30 per hour.ConclusionsIn conclusion, the Greek Version of the BQ is a useful instrument for identifying patients at risk for OSAS in primary health care in Greece. The findings of our study confirm that such screening tools should be used by primary care clinicians for OSAS prediction.
Highlights
The aim of our study was to validate a Greek translation of the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) and to explore whether this screening questionnaire could be used to help identify primary care patients at greater risk of having OSAS
The aim of our study was to develop a Greek version of the BQ and to explore whether this screening questionnaire could be used to help identify primary care patients at greater risk of having OSAS, by comparing the BQ score with the apnoea–hypopnoea index (AHI) obtained from a formal sleep study
BQ performance Various cut-off values for AHI were used to stratify the patients in groups in relation to the severity of OSAS, as General characteristics of the population We evaluated 189 primary care patients
Summary
The aim of our study was to validate a Greek translation of the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) and to explore whether this screening questionnaire could be used to help identify primary care patients at greater risk of having OSAS. A reliable and easy-to-use screening tool is required for efficient prediction of OSAS, helping to prioritize patients who require sleep study according to the probability of suffering from OSAS. Such a screening tool would give treatment to those who are with more severe OSAS first. A number of techniques have been purposed to be used as screening tools for OSAS, such as questionnaires and clinical models, utilizing symptoms, physical examination findings suggestive of OSAS, or different OSAS risk factors [9,10]
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