The Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) is often used clinically to screen for the manifestations of the behavioral morbidity associated to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The purpose of this study was to assess the sensitivity of the ESS in the identification of OSA, as defined by an elevated apnea-hypopnea index. A retrospective chart review of 268 consecutive patients diagnosed with OSA at a multidisciplinary sleep medicine clinic was conducted. The ESS obtained a relatively low sensitivity (66%) in the identification of an apnea-hypopnea index of 5 and above at the suggested cutoff of 10 and increased to 76% at 8. The results of the study showed only fair discriminatory ability of the ESS as a screener for OSA. A score of 8 (instead of 10) is suggested as the cutoff among clinic populations being screened for a sleep disorder.

The primary aim of the current study was to obtain information about the longitudinal clinical functioning of primary care patients who had received care from behavioral health consultants (BHCs) integrated into a large family medicine clinic. Global mental health functioning was measured with the 20-item self-report Behavioral Health Measure (BHM), which was completed by patients at all appointments with the BHC. The BHM was then mailed to 664 patients 1.5 to 3 years after receipt of intervention from BHCs in primary care, of which 70 (10.5%) were completed and returned (62.9% female; mean age 43.1 ± 12.7 years; 48.6% Caucasian, 12.9% African American, 21.4% Hispanic/Latino, 2.9% Asian/Pacific Islander, 10.0% Other, 4.3% no response). Mixed effects modeling revealed that patients improved from their first to last BHC appointment, with gains being maintained an average of 2 years after intervention. Patterns of results remained significant even when accounting for the receipt of additional mental health treatment subsequent to BHC intervention. Findings suggest that clinical gains achieved by this subset of primary care patients that were associated with brief BHC intervention were maintained approximately 2 years after the final appointment.

Scientific inveStigationSStudy Objectives: Evaluate the efficacy of a novel device placed in the nares that imposes an expiratory resistance for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and evaluate adherence to the device over a 30-day in-home trial period. Design: One diagnostic and 3 treatment polysomnograms were administered in a Latin-square design to identify the optimal expiratory resistance to be used during the 30-day in-home trial. Subjects had repeat polysomnography with the prescribed device at the end of the 30-day trial. Setting: Multicenter study. Participants: Participants (N = 34; age 27 to 67) with a baseline apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 5. Measurements and Results: The AHI was reduced from 24.5 ± 23.6 (mean ± SD) to an average of 13.5 ± 18.7 (p < 0.001) across initial treatment nights. The AHI was 15.5 ± 18.9 (p = 0.001) for the prescribed device at the end of the 30-day trial. Of 24 subjects with an AHI > 10 at baseline, 13 achieved an AHI ≤ 10 on the initial treatment nights; 10 had a similar response on the final treatment night. Percent of the night snoring decreased from 27.5 ± 23.2 to 11.6 ± 13.7 (p < 0.001) on initial treatment nights and 14.6 ± 20.6 (p = 0.013) at the end of the trial; Epworth Sleepiness scores decreased from 8.7 ± 4.0 at baseline to 6.9 ± 4.4 (p < 0.001) at the end of the trial; the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index improved from 7.4 ± 3.3 to 6.5 ± 3.6 (p = 0.042). Mean oxygen saturation increased from 94.8 ± 2.0 to 95.2 ± 1.9 (p = 0.023) on initial treatment nights and 95.3 ± 1.9 (p = 0.003) at the end of the trial. Sleep architecture was not affected. Participants reported using the device all night long for 94% of nights during the in-home trial. Conclusions: Treatment with this novel device was well tolerated and accepted by the participants. An overall reduction in AHI was documented; however, therapeutic response was variable among the participants. Further research is required to identify the ideal candidates for this new therapeutic option in the management of OSA.

The results of this study demonstrated that C-Flex has comparable resolution of respiratory indices and adherence. Furthermore, C-Flex users reported greater mask comfort.

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