prioritising people for rapid assessment by a sleep service - possible OSAHS (Obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome)
Last edited 09/2021 and last reviewed 09/2021
Prioritising people for rapid assessment by a sleep service - possible OSAHS (Obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome)
When referring people with suspected OSAHS to a sleep service, include the following information in the referral letter to facilitate rapid assessment:
- results of the person's assessment scores
- how sleepiness affects the person
- comorbidities
- occupational risk
- oxygen saturation and blood gas values, if available
Within the sleep service, prioritise people with suspected OSAHS for rapid assessment if any of the following apply:
- they have a vocational driving job
- they have a job for which vigilance is critical for safety
- they have unstable cardiovascular disease, for example, poorly controlled arrhythmia, nocturnal angina or treatment-resistant hypertension
- they are pregnant
- they are undergoing preoperative assessment for major surgery
- they have non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy
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