Dados do Trabalho

Título

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Oxygen Desaturation in Patients of a Tertiary Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introdução

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is marked by repeated breathing interruptions during sleep, leading to oxygen desaturation and fragmented sleep. Untreated OSA significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular accidents and neurocognitive issues. Despite its importance, OSA often goes underdiagnosed.

Objetivo

The objective is to descriptively analyze a population sample of patients hospitalized in a tertiary hospital regarding qualitative and quantitative variables.

Métodos

This cross-sectional study involved inpatients with no prior OSA diagnosis, conducted at a tertiary hospital. Data were collected between October 2022 and July 2024. Participants answered questionnaires (Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS], STOP-BANG, self-reported sleep quality) and were monitored with overnight oximetry to assess the Oxygen Desaturation Index (ODI). Statistical analysis was performed using Jamovi 2.3.28 software. Data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation or median (interquartile range). The Shapiro-Wilk test assessed the normal distribution of the data, with a significance level of p < 0.05. An ODI higher than 5 was considered elevaded.

Resultados

The study included a total of 78 patients, age 54 (± 22.5), weight 66.5 (± 26.3), BMI 25.5 (± 7.67), STOP-BANG 3.5 (± 3), self-reported sleep quality 8 (± 3), minimum saturation 87 (± 6.75), average saturation 95 (± 2), maximum saturation 100 (± 1), time with saturation < 90% (min) 0.950 (± 7.2), percentage with saturation < 90% (%) 0 (± 1), number of desaturations 31 (± 64.5), ODI (events/h) 4.6 (± 9.48), time with snoring (min) 2 (± 20.8), and % of time with snoring 0 (± 5.75); the ESS had a mean of 8.59 (± 4.11). The prevalence of Elevated ODI was 35%, and it was significantly associated with hypertension (p= 0.009), coronary artery disease (p<0.001), diabetes (p=0.004). Interestingly, there was no association with the subjective quality of sleep or ESS with ODI, minimum saturation, time with saturation below 90% or time with snoring. On the other hand, STOP-BANG score was positively correlated with ODI.

Conclusões

The underdiagnosis of OSA is a critical global health challenge, especially given its link to adverse cardiovascular outcomes. This issue persists even in tertiary care hospital patients with suggestive clinical profiles. There is an urgent need to improve diagnostic screening and expand the availability of methods to ensure early detection and proper treatment of OSA.

Palavras -chave

Obstructive sleep apnea, polysomnography, sleep quality