The STOP-BANG questionnaire is useful and reliable tool for anesthesiologists to screen patients for obstructive sleep apnea and to identify any associated risks, according to a North American Partners in Anesthesia blog post.
STOP-BANG is an acronym, which stands for snoring, tiredness, observed apnea, blood pressure, body mass index, age, neck circumference and gender. Asking the questions associated with each category can help spot an at-risk patient who has not been assessed in a formal sleep study, according to the report.
Patients with a risk for OSA can be treated with opioid-sparing techniques and other additional precautions. In addition to the STOP-BANG questionnaire, anesthesiologists should consider co-existing diseases that could be exacerbating co-morbidities.
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STOP-BANG is an acronym, which stands for snoring, tiredness, observed apnea, blood pressure, body mass index, age, neck circumference and gender. Asking the questions associated with each category can help spot an at-risk patient who has not been assessed in a formal sleep study, according to the report.
Patients with a risk for OSA can be treated with opioid-sparing techniques and other additional precautions. In addition to the STOP-BANG questionnaire, anesthesiologists should consider co-existing diseases that could be exacerbating co-morbidities.
More Articles on Anesthesia:
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Releases Mobile, Interactive 'Clinical Anesthesia'
ASA President Dr. John Zerwas Discusses Anesthesia Awareness in Atlantic Letter
FDA 510(k) Clearance Granted to Assurance Alar Sensor for Anesthesia