Screening of surgical patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) ,a common sleep disorder,is characterized by episodes of cessation of breathing during sleep lasting for more than 10 seconds, due to repetitive partial or complete obstruction of the upper airway. Surgical patients with OSAS may lead to peri-operative complications. An up-to-date gold diagnosis standard of OSAS remains polysomnogram. We review a variety of preoperative evaluation methods available for OSAS diagnosis,including questionnaires, portable devices,and other clinical screening tests. Key words: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome; Pre-operation evaluation