Could the old reliable Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) be on the way out? Researchers in a new study published titled “STOP-Bang questionnaire is superior to Epworth sleepiness scales, Berlin questionnaire, and STOP questionnaire in screening obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome patients” contends that the STOP-Bang Questionnaire (SBQ) has “superior predictive value compared with ESS, Berlin questionnaire, and STOP questionnaire. It should be used further in screening for OSAHS in the general population.”
The study aimed to evaluate the value of the STOP-Bang questionnaire (SBQ) by comparing it with the ESS, Berlin questionnaire, and STOP questionnaire. According to the Chinese Medical Journal, 212 patients at the sleep-disordered breathing clinic of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital between May 2011 and January 2012 were prospectively included.
They were asked to fill in the SBQ, ESS, Berlin questionnaire, and STOP questionnaire before overnight polysomnography (PSG). Using PSG as gold standard, the sensitivities and specificities of SBQ were compared with those of ESS, Berlin questionnaire, and STOP questionnaire.
“Our study results showed that when comparing the value of ESS, Berlin questionnaire, STOP questionnaire, and SBQ in screening OSAHS patients, detecting moderate and severe OSAHS patients in the sleep-disordered breathing clinic, SBQ had superior sensitivity,” write researchers, “while ESS questionnaire had limited value in screening.”
