Sleep study

OXIGEN salud offers to carry out sleep studies through screening or at-home polygraphy tests and polysomnography, following various steps:

• The diagnosis equipment is delivered to the patient's home with the instructions to undergo the test while sleeping.
• The following day, the equipment is picked up.
• The obtained data is sent to a pulmonologist for establishing the diagnosis.

Sleep studies are used to diagnose obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) through three types of tests of increasing complexity. All tests are done while the patient is sleeping.

Sleep study tests

Sleep screening

It determines the Apnoea-Hypopnoea Index, which indicates the risk of suffering from sleep apnoeas and hypopnoeas. It monitors simple variables throughout the night, such as snoring, breathing patterns, heart rate and blood oxygen level (overnight pulse oximetry). The analysis of these variables will determine the risk level.

Polygraphy test

Patients with clear symptoms of OSA or positive screenings must undergo this more complex test in which all the previous variables are analysed (snoring, breathing pattern, overnight pulse oximetry, etc.) in addition to the posture and movements of the thorax and abdomen.

It is possible to perform the diagnostic procedure at the patient's home, allowing for more accurate monitoring of their breathing patterns during treatment.

Polysomnography

It is the most complete test to diagnose OSA and other related sleep disorders (periodic limb movement disorder, upper airway resistance syndrome, narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia or other types of insomnia). The test can be done at home or in sleep units.

It consists of recording all the above variables plus the neurophysiological variables that allow sleep evaluation and establish the characteristics of the somnogram: the quantity and quality of sleep, its discontinuity and the relationship with apnoeas.