Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.
2008 Apr;51(4):331-335.
Analysis of Preoperative Consultations of Patients With Snoring and Sleep Apnea
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Otolaryngology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea. khuent@khmc.or.kr
Abstract
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is well known as a risk factor in the hypertension, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and other metabolic diseases. Therefore, preoperative evaluation in OSA patients is very important to discover comorbid diseases and other risk factors for anesthesia and surgery itself. We tried to find out the incidence of consultation to other department and incidence of risk factors.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
195 patients who received surgery due to OSA and snoring were included. We analyzed consultation history to other department for evaluation of risk in surgery and anesthesia, by going through past medical history, laboratory tests, chest radiographs, and electrocardiograms, etc., in the medical records.
RESULTS
38.5% (75 patients) of the patients were consulted to other department. The causes of consultation were liver problems, abnormal chest PA, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, etc., in the order of frequency. Only 17 patients were newly diagnosed by consultation. The rate of consultation was significantly correlated with the severity of OSA by apneahypopnea index and minimal oxygen saturation.
CONCLUSION
The patients with OSA need several consultations for evaluation of operative and anesthetic risk, especially in the severe OSA. Therefore, OSA patients should be evaluated precisely, and managed carefully.
