Sleep study result help

[peterpickles]

I obtained a copy of my consultants letter today, I wondered if anyone could please help me interpret what the oxygen desaturation results mean.

The study showed 5 and a half hours snoring at 55cbs, a moderate amount of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, and an arterial oxygen desaturation index of about 28/hour of sleep. My body mass index is pretty normal at 26.2.

I am going to start on CPAP tonight, my machine is a S8 AutoSet Spirit II

Thanks in advance for any replies

Peter

[leswaller]

Hi Peterpickles

A normal person (including you when you are awake and active) will have an oxygen saturation of between 90% and 95%. This is a measure of the amount of oxygen dissolved in your blood compared with its maximum capacity to carry oxygen. (you dont want 100% as this would be toxic).
If you have an oxygen desaturation of 28, this means that when you are asleep, due to your apnea, your oxygen saturation is on average down 28% from the normal. It does NOT mean that your saturation is only 28% - you would be dead.

[peterpickles]

Thanks for the information

Peter

[threewheelweave]

Check this Out?

Hi Peter

You may find it useful to check out another thread that covers this under

Mild? Moderate? or Severe?

This has additional information to add to what is already listed under your thread hope it is of assistance

Remember you can use the search engine for key words to find things

Take care - cheers!

TWW
UK

[James @ Intus]

I read what you say a bit differently from Les' interpretation.

If the results spoke of an index of 28 per hour when asleep, it means there were on average 28 desaturations per hour. With finger pulse oximetry sleep studies for the purpose of detecting sleep apnoea, a desaturation is mostly defined as a 4% dip. So if you frop from 96 to 92, that would be a significant desaturation, but a drop from 97 to 94 is not. There's also a time factor involved but can't recall off the top of my head.

Whilst an apnoea or hyponpea event may not necessarily always result in an oxygen desaturation event of 4% drop or more, it is accepted that oxygen dips like that are indicative of breathing events. So whilst Oxygen Desaturation Index (ODI) is not exactly Apnoea Hypopnoea Index (AHI) one on one, it's pretty close.

Whether or not 28 per hour makes you mild, moderate or severe depends largely on your questionnaire results. But they'll probably have classed it as moderate-severe. With oximetry they may group the severity like that.

Either way, with such scores and if they thought it was consistent with sleep apnoea, it's important to have it treated asap.

[peterpickles]

Thanks again for the information

Peter