Screening for treatment‑required sleep apnoea in patients with spinal cord injury within one year after injury in a rehabilitation setting

Sleep apnea is more common in individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) than in the general population, but it's often underdiagnosed. Therefore, regular screening is necessary. This study checks how well a questionnaire (SBQ) works to find people with SCI who need treatment for sleep apnea and whether combining it with a simple pulse oximetry test improves accuracy. The study found that SBQ alone is not accurate enough, but when combined with pulse oximetry, it can better identify those who need treatment while reducing unnecessary further tests.

• 1
  The SBQ alone is insufficient for screening treatment-required sleep apnoea in SCI patients.
• 2
  Combining SBQ with pulse oximetry enhances accuracy in identifying patients with sleep apnoea.
• 3
  There was a 75% prevalence of mild to severe sleep apnoea among the 24 included patients.