Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Unattended Portable Monitors in the Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adult Patients
- S-Med
- 3 days ago
- 1 min read
The Portable Monitoring Task Force of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine reviewed available evidence and met to develop consensus recommendations on the use of PM in the diagnosis and management of patients with OSA. The AASM Board of Directors approved this clinical guideline. Previous reviews have concluded that PM should be used only on a limited basis. The Task Force identified additional appropriate indications and usage of PM within parameters guided by the following principles: PM use should be integrated into a comprehensive program of patient evaluation and treatment under the direction of a sleep specialist board certified in sleep medicine. Studies have shown that board certification improves outcomes in patients with OSA.47 The determination of whether a patient meets criteria for PM is complex, requiring
understanding of the risk factors for OSA and the diagnostic criteria for other sleep disorders. Evaluation of PM data requires experience and expertise that are part of the training and certification of sleep specialists. PM should only be used in populations with
substantive published data on specificity and sensitivity. This restricts PM use to patients with a high probability of OSA based on clinical evaluation and without evidence of significant comorbidities (both medical and other sleep disorders). PM should be regulated by policies and procedures that maximize the reliability and validity of the diagnostic process. The stringent requirements for AASM sleep center accreditation45 provide a guide for PM use. Data support a review of raw data rather than reliance on automated scoring. Written protocols, safety procedures, and ongoing quality assurance (including inter-scorer reliability at regular intervals) are methods to insure the highest quality of care for OSA patients.
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