The Primary Diagnostic Significance of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale in Patiens With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS)in patients with OSAHS. Methods The questionnaire of the Epworth sleepiness scale was used to evaluate 279 patients with OSAHS and 83 patients with snoring. The results were compared to those of polysomnography.Results Significant differences in ESS-SP, AHI and sleepstructure were found between patients with OSAHS and patients with scoring. A significant correlation was found between ESS-SP score and AHI .The patients with OSAHS had significantly higher scores than those without OSAHS. The specificith of this method was 90.36%(snoring),92.3%(mildOSAHS),91.75%(moderate OSAHS) and 92.3%(severe OSAHS). Conclusion ESS-SP is consistent with clinical diagnosis and could be used as a primary diagnostic method in patients with OSAHS, especially in primary-care hospitals.