Source: Annual Congress 2002 - Aspects of respiratory disease in primary care
Disease area: Sleep and breathing disorders

Abstract

General practitioners approached by patients with problematic snoring face a dilemma regarding whether (and to which service) those patients should be referred for a specialist opinion. We suggest that combining the two dimensions of sleepiness (ESS) and hypoxaemia (oxygen desaturation index (ODI)) would provide primary care providers with a system for grouping their otherwise healthy snoring patients, and that management decisions could be made based on those groups.

A retrospective analysis of 100 consecutive patients with problematic snoring who presented over twelve months to a general practice located in the city of Christchurch (pop. 350,000) was performed. Thirty-five percent of the study sample (Group D) were identified as uncomplicated snorers who would likely benefit from specialist ENT or specialist dental assessment, or who could try conservative treatment co-ordinated through their general practitioner. Fourteen percent (Group B) were identified as needing urgent consideration for nCPAP. Three percent (Group C) were hypoxic snorers who did not report daytime sleepiness and hence would likely benefit from further assessment from a specialist respiratory physician. Forty-eight percent of the sample (Group A) were found to be sleepy snorers in need of further assessment by a specialist sleep service, but not on an urgent basis.

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Citations should be made in the following way:
L. E. Beckert, C. B. Sparks (Christchurch, New Zealand). Assessment of snorers in primary care: straight path to treatment. Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 2989

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