Is neck grasp a reliable screening tool for obstructive sleep apnea?

: BACKGROUND AND AIM: Determining patients at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) via screening tools is important as undiagnosed OSA is associated with significant morbidities. The present study is aimed to determine the usefulness of easy sleep apnea predictor (ESAP) as a diagnostic tool for OSA. METHODS: In this retrospective study, ESAP positivity was defined as the inability of the patients to wrap their necks with their own hands. The demographic, antropometric parameters, and polysomnographic values were compared between ESAP(+) and (−) groups. RESULTS: The overall 287 OSA patients (47% severe) participated in this study. Patients in the ESAP(+) group (56.4%) showed higher rates of obesity and concomitant disease and also had increased neck, waist, and hip circumference, as well as more severe OSA (p<0.05). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that mild and severe OSA and obesity were independent predictors for ESAP positivity. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of ESAP negativity in AHI <5 (no OSA) were 73.7%, 61%, 22.4%, and 93.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although ESAP was not defined as a useful tool for the diagnosis of OSA, ESAP negativity can be used as a practical screening test in the primary care and outpatient clinics for excluding OSA.