PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Ivan Cherrez-Ojeda
AU  - Thomas Guerrero
AU  - Ronni Mantilla
TI  - Importance of a questionnaire study on Latin American physicians about sleep apnea
DP  - 2011 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - p2200
VI  - 38
IP  - Suppl 55
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p2200.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p2200.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38
AB  - Introduction: We considered appropriate to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of obstructive sleep apnea among our physicians in the Latin-American community.Methods: Cross sectional survey study done in Ecuator. We previously translated the questionnaire obstructive sleep apnea knowledge and attitude (OSAKA) in English to Spanish.Results: Out of the 284 questionnaires delivered just 193 (68%) questionnaires were completed and analyze.We found among questions that involved treatment of OSA that uvulopalatopharyngoplasty is curative for OSA (68%) and that laser-assisted uvuloplasty is an appriopate treatment for severe OSA (84%). 55% of respondents think that CPAP is the first line of treatment of OSA, however 91% think that treatment always begin with an automated CPAP before than a fixed CPAP.Knowledge scores ranged from 0 to 19 (mean + SD = 10,4 + 2, 74). So fifty five percent 55%, of respondents got the questions right. Regarding the normal index of apnea in adults there is a clearly misunderstanding 75,6%. Concerning the complications of OSA no more than halve of the respondents 43% know that hypertension is a long term complication, however 85,5% have a tendency to know that arrhythmias can occur with OSA.Conclusion: In general there is a low knowledge of OSA among Latin-American physicians.In the treatment of OSA more than halve still consider that surgery is the correct treatment for OSA, and even though halve know that CPAP is the first line treatment only 8,8% will choose a fixed CPAP from the beginning of treatment. It is necessary to improve our education in the field of sleep apnea starting at medical school and among graduated physicians.