Measured during the sleep study, AHI refers to the number of apnoeas and hypopneas your patient has per hour (< 5 to 30+).1
Depending on the rules and regulations on your country, sleep studies can be done in the patient’s home or at a sleep clinic.
During a sleep study, your patient’s breathing, body movements and responses during the night are monitored to see if he or she has a sleep disorder such as sleep apnoea.
Below is some information you can pass on to your patients about what happens during a sleep study.
In a clinic, hospital or sleep lab, clinical staff will place sensors on your patient’s body to monitor their sleep.
Sensors are placed:
Patients will also be fitted with:
With your patient’s permission, staff may also request to film the sleep study to gain more insights into the patient’s sleeping behaviour.
During this type of study, your patient will be required to stay overnight at the facility, so they should take everything needed for their usual sleeping routine, including pajamas and toiletries.
There are two types of set-up for a home sleep study:
What do sleep studies measure?
Among other things, the sleep study will indicate the severity of your patient’s condition, which is classified according to an apnoea/hypopnea index (AHI).
In addition to the patient’s AHI, the diagnosis will take into account the patient’s oxygen desaturation and in case of OSA, excessive daytime sleepiness.
Once you receive your patient’s sleep study results, you can then talk to him or her about the condition (if it’s present), its severity, its possible health effects and treatment options.