COMPARISON OF A LIMITED COMPUTERIZED DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM (RESCARE AUTOSET(TM)) WITH POLYSOMNOGRAPHY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP-APNEA SYNDROME

The increasing numbers of patients referred for evaluation of suspecte d obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) places a growing burden on available sleep laboratory resources, A number of limited diagnostic systems hav e been developed in an effort to cope with this clinical problem. In t his study, the diagnostic capabilities of one limited diagnostic syste m (ResCare Autoset(TM)) were compared with full polysomnography (PSG), using the Oxford SAC(TM) computerized system, Thirty six patients wit h suspected OSA had simultaneous studies performed both with the Autos et and Oxford PSG systems, The apnoea plus hypopnoea index (AHI) (even ts . h(-1)) scored by the Autoset system was compared with the AHI sco red from the PSG raw tracings by an experienced sleep technician. Ther e were highly significant correlations between the Autoset AHI and the AHI scored by the manual PSG scoring method (r=0.92; p<0.001). The po sitive predictive value for diagnosis of OSA for the Autoset was 86% w hen compared with manual PSG scoring, based on an AHI threshold for OS A of 15 events . h(-1). However, the agreement between Autoset and PSG was poor in severe cases of OSA, although not sufficiently so as to r esult in mistaken diagnosis in any of these cases. We conclude that th e Autoset system is a sensitive and easy to use system, which facilita tes screening for obstructive sleep apnoea with a reasonable degree of accuracy.