Usefulness of the Berlin, STOP, and STOP-Bang Questionnaires in the Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic sleep-related breathing disorder that requires long-term management. If OSA remains untreated, it can result in serious health consequences, including increased risk of both cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Polysomnography is considered to be the gold standard for diagnosing OSA; however, it is relatively expensive, time-consuming and technically complex. Thus, there is a growing interest in the use of simple and efficient screening tools for OSA. Although screening questionnaires such as the Berlin Questionnaire, the STOP Questionnaire, and the STOP-Bang Questionnaire are widely used to assess the presence of OSA, the findings regarding their diagnostic accuracy are not consistent. This review provides a descriptive summary of the scientific studies evaluating the accuracy of diagnostic tests for OSA. Keywords: Sleep apnea, Obstructive, Surveys and questionnaires, Sensitivity and specificity, Review