A comparison of polysomnography and the WatchPAT in the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea

Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2007 Oct;137(4):665-8. doi: 10.1016/j.otohns.2007.03.015.

Abstract

Objective: Our goal was to validate the WatchPAT in the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea.

Study design: We conducted a prospective, blinded, nonrandomized clinical trial.

Methods: Patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnea scheduled for an overnight level I polysomnogram were offered enrollment in a study to compare the WatchPAT (Itamar Ltd, Israel) device with polysomnography. Patients wore the WatchPAT device simultaneously while undergoing polysomnography during evaluation in the sleep lab.

Results: Thirty-seven patients participated in the study. They had a mean age of 50.1 years (range, 31-73 years) and mean body mass index of 34.6 kg/m(2) (range, 21.2-46.8 kg/m(2)). There was high correlation between the polysomnogram and WatchPAT apnea-hypopnea index (r = 0.9288; 95% confidence interval = 0.8579-0.9650, P < 0.0001). The lowest oxygen saturation also showed high correlation (r = 0.989; 95% confidence interval = 0.9773-0.9947, P < 0.0001). The overall polysomnogram and WatchPAT sleep times revealed a correlation of r = 0.5815 (P = 0.005).

Conclusion: The WatchPAT showed a high correlation with the polysomnogram in apnea-hypopnea index, lowest oxygen saturation, and sleep time.

Significance: It's use as a reliable tool in the diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Body Mass Index
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Manometry
  • Middle Aged
  • Monitoring, Ambulatory / instrumentation
  • Monitoring, Ambulatory / methods*
  • Oxygen / blood
  • Polysomnography / methods*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Pulsatile Flow / physiology
  • Single-Blind Method
  • Sleep / physiology
  • Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / diagnosis*
  • Sleep, REM / physiology
  • Time Factors
  • Wakefulness / physiology

Substances

  • Oxygen