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Prevalence of Positional Sleep Apnea in Patients Undergoing Polysomnography^*

^* From the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo and the Veterans Affairs Western New York Healthcare System, Buffalo, NY.

Correspondence to: M. Jeffery Mador, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Section 111S, State University of New York at Buffalo, Veterans Administration Medical Center, 3495 Bailey Ave, Buffalo, NY 14215; e-mail: mador{at}acsu.buffalo.edu

Study objectives: The primary aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of positional obstructive sleep apnea using a functional definition. Positional sleep apnea was defined as a total apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) 5 with a > 50% reduction in the AHI between the supine and nonsupine postures, and an AHI that normalizes (AHI < 5) in the nonsupine posture. A secondary aim was to determine if positional sleep apnea can be diagnosed accurately during a split-night study.

Design: Retrospective chart review.

Setting: Two sleep centers in Buffalo, NY, one a Veterans Affairs Western New York Healthcare System Sleep Center (VAWNY) and the other a freestanding ambulatory center (Associated Sleep Center [ASC]).

Patients: Three hundred twenty-six patients from the VAWNY, including 57 patients who underwent a split-night study and 242 patients from the ASC who underwent polysomnography.

Interventions: None.

Measurements: Patient characteristics and sleep study results.

Results: Positional sleep apnea was seen in 49 of 99 patients (49.5%) with mild sleep apnea (AHI, 5 to 15/h), 14 of 72 patients (19.4%) with moderate sleep apnea (AHI, 15 to 30/h), and 5 of 77 patients (6.5%) with severe sleep apnea (AHI > 30/h). Sufficient sleep (> 15 min) in both postures was not seen in 104 of 269 patients (38.7%) and 80 of 242 overnight studies (33.1%) at the VAWNY and ASC, respectively, and was not seen in 47 of 57 split-night studies (82.5%). The percentage of studies with insufficient sleep in both postures was significantly greater for split-night studies (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions: Positional sleep apnea is common particularly in patients with mild disease. Positional sleep apnea cannot usually be assessed during a split-night study.

Key Words: body posture • breathing disturbances • human sleep • obstructive sleep apnea • polysomnography • sleep apnea • sleep disorders • sleep position

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Mogri, M. I. A. Khan, B. J. B. Grant, and M. J. Mador Central Sleep Apnea Induced by Acute Ingestion of Opioids Chest, June 1, 2008; 133(6): 1484 - 1488. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Prevalence of Positional Sleep Apnea Journal Watch (General), November 15, 2005; 2005(1115): 3 - 3. [Full Text]