Practicality of the Sleepstrip™ in postal screening for obstructive sleep apnoea

The SleepStrip(TM), a disposable screening device for the detection of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), which displays an estimated apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI(SS) ) was posted, with instructions, to 48 patients referred for sleep study for suspected OSA. The patients subsequently underwent a cardiorespiratory sleep study from which the AHI(E) was derived. Thirty patients (63%) returned the SleepStrip(TM), the device displayed an AHI(SS) in 22 patients (73%), of which 17 (57%) was deemed valid by the device. Twelve of the 30 patients who returned the SleepStrip(TM) had an AHI(E)greater than or equal to20 on the detailed sleep study. Of these, the SleepStrip(TM) recording was valid in seven of which only two had an AHI(SS)greater than or equal to20. We concluded that the SleepStrip(TM) was not suitable for unsupervised postal screening for OSA.