Evaluation of sociodemographic and clinical features of patients who applied to the sleep laboratory: a retrospective study

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the sociodemographic features and complaints of patients who apply to the sleep laboratory and to compare the physician’s preliminary diagnosis and the results of polysomnography (PSG) records of these patients.

Methods: One hundred and seventy-seven patients who applied to Erenkoy Mental Health and Neurology Training and Research Hospital sleep laboratory department were included in the study. All of the patients’ age, gender, comorbid chronic diseases, complaints, preliminary diagnoses and PSG diagnosis were evaluated retrospectively.

Results: The study population consisted of 177 patients who applied to the sleep laboratory. The average age of patients was 47.7 years. 52 patients were female and 125 patients were male. Total sleep time of the study population was 369.7±63.2 minutes. Mean apnea hypopnea (AHI) index was 41.7±72.5. Complaints of patients were snoring (86.4%), stopped breath during sleep (74%), insomnia (57.1%) and abnormal behaviors during sleep (34.5%). Sleep disorders in patients were accompanied by chronic diseases including hypertension (29.4%), diabetes (14.1%), hyperlipidemia (14.7%) and also depressive disorder (11.9%) and anxiety disorder (1.7%). The majority of patients’ initial diagnosis was obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (122 patients). According to PSG results, 75 patients were diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Conclusion: A good clinical history and physical examination with the correct interpretation of PSG for the differential diagnosis can be made carefully. Accurate and timely diagnoses are important for appropriate treatment of patients who apply to the sleep laboratory. Therefore, the clinician should give more attention to evaluating these patients.