@article {Parra1720, author = {O Parra and N Garcia-Esclasans and JM Montserrat and L Garcia Eroles and J Ruiz and JA Lopez and JM Guerra and JJ Sopena}, title = {Should patients with sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome be diagnosed and managed on the basis of home sleep studies?}, volume = {10}, number = {8}, pages = {1720--1724}, year = {1997}, doi = {10.1183/09031936.97.10081720}, publisher = {European Respiratory Society}, abstract = {The purpose of this study was to analyse the validity and the economic efficiency of a portable monitor of respiratory parameters (PMRP), used in a home setting for the diagnosis of sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (SAHS). Eighty nine patients with suspected SAHS were studied in two settings: in the sleep laboratory using full-polysomnography (full-PSG); and at the patient{\textquoteright}s home using a PMRP. In the home setting, 50 patients were assisted by a technician and 39 set up the equipment themselves. SAHS (apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI) \>10 events x h(-1) by means of full-PSG) was diagnosed in 75 of the 89 patients. An acceptable agreement was obtained between the AHI measured by full-PSG and PMRP, according to the Bland and Altman method of concordance (mean bias 2.56; 95\% confidence interval 3.25). Sensitivity and specificity of PMRP were adequate for diagnostic purposes; however, their values rely on the prior PMRP-AHI cut-off point selected with reference to full-PSG-AHI \>10. The clinical therapeutic decision taken after PMRP agreed with that taken with full-PSG in 79 patients (89\%). Although 10\% of the studies with an individual set-up needed repetition, both of the domiciliary modalities (with and without a technician{\textquoteright}s intervention) were, economically, about three times more efficient than full-PSG. In conclusion, we believe that patients with a suspected sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome should initially be studied in a home setting with a portable monitor of respiratory parameters, since it is a reliable method with an acceptable cost-effective profile.}, issn = {0903-1936}, URL = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/10/8/1720}, eprint = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/10/8/1720.full.pdf}, journal = {European Respiratory Journal} }