Correlation of Epworth Sleepiness Scale with polysomnography changes in the assessment of excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome

Abstract

Introduction: Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is an important sleep disorder, frequently associated to the obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). It is known to be an important predisposing factor to accidents, decreased productivity, neurocognitive disorders and social issues. Thus, early detection of EDS is crucial. Objective: To evaluate the correlation of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) with polysomnographic parameters in patients with OSAHS. Method: The study evaluated 1264 reports of polysomnography of patients with OSAHS admitted from January 2009 to December 2013 at the Instituto do Sono dos Campos Gerais. The reports were initially divided into groups according to the severity of OSAHS and then according to the score obtained in ESE and evaluated according to the results of the polysomnographic parameters. Results: From the analyzed reports, 822 (65.03%) were male patients, and 442 (34.87%) were female patients. According to the ESS scores analysis, a relation was observed between the scale and OSAHS (r = 0.175, p < 0.,00001). However, when divided into subgroups only severe OSAHS presented a significant correlation (r = 0.136, p = 0.0004). Conclusion: The scale is more strongly related with severe OSAHS, which is also more likely to develop EDS. Due to the importance of early detection of sleepiness, the ESS can be used as a method of rapid assessment in patients with OSAHS, to estimate its severity and the presence of SED