Use of a portable monitoring device (Somnocheck Micro) for the investigation and diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea in comparison with polysomnography

OBJECTIVE: Polysomnography (PSG) remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). While PSG is essential for OSAS, this technique is not suitable for epidemiological investigation due to its high cost. This study aimed to compare a portable monitoring device with PSG for the measurement of parameters related to the diagnosis of OSAS in rural areas. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive study of 155 patients (30 women and 125 men; mean age, 52±12years) who visited to the Hendek Government Hospital Sleep Laboratory between February 2011 and January 2013 Apnoea hypopnea index (AHI), mean levels of O(2) (meanO(2)), desaturation index (DI), and minimum oxygen saturation (minO(2)) variations as measured using both PSG and a portable Somnocheck Micro (SM) device were compared. RESULTS: Differences were found between the meanO(2) and DI, but not between AHI and minO(2). Differences between the methods were not desired, but the relationship between the methods was distinct and supported our hypothesis. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study have shown that the SM portable device can be used as an alternative diagnostic tool in this population either at home or in sleep clinic.