Accuracy of the STOP-Bang Questionnaire for Screening Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Individuals with Obesity

Obstructive Sleep Apnea, (OSA), is a highly prevalent, underdiagnosed disorder, associated to increased perioperative complications. Overnight polysomnography is the diagnosis gold standard but is not always feasible. The STOP-BANG questionnaire is an OSA screening tool. Aim: A retrospective study was performed to determine the STOP-BANG capability to identify moderate or severe OSA in obese patients scheduled for bariatric surgery. Methods: 96 patients´ Home Sleep Apnea Test results were used as a gold standard and their previous STOP-BANG scores as a covariable in a logistic regression model. Results: The areas under the ROC curve at >3 and ≥5 cutoff points were 0,73 CI95% [0,63; 0,82] and 0,79 CI95% [0,67; 0,91], toallocate Moderate/Severe and Severe OSA respectively. Conclusion: the STOP-BANG screening capacity was at most acceptable to identify Moderate or Severe OSA in bariatric patients. The best prediction was obtained to classify severe OSA.