Download PDF
Sleep Breath 2001; 05(3): 115-122
DOI: 10.1055/s-2001-17429
ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Copyright © 2001 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA. Tel.: +1(212) 584-4662

Knowledge of Sleep Apnea in a Sample Grouping of Primary Care Physicians

Sharon A. Chung, Shani Jairam, Mohammed R. G. Hussain, Colin M. Shapiro
  • Sleep Research Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Toronto Western Hospital, The University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
27 September 2001 (online)

    Permissions and Reprints

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this pilot study was to examine four groups of primary care physicians' knowledge of sleep apnea. Methods: Using a 36-item questionnaire, we investigated how cognizant primary care physicians in Ontario, Canada, were of sleep apnea and its different symptoms. The questions covered incidence, diagnosis, treatment, and medical and social ramifications of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea surveys were administered to small groups of primary care physicians attending educational conferences or were distributed by mail to physicians who had previously referred patients to the sleep clinic. Results: A total of 151 physicians responded to the survey. An overall average score of 69% was obtained on the questionnaire. Conclusions: This score suggests that the physicians sampled in this pilot study are relatively underinformed about the clinical features and medical and social ramifications associated with sleep apnea.

KEYWORD

Sleep apnea - primary care physicians - medical education - diagnosis

REFERENCES

  • 1 Findley L J, Barth J T, Powers D C, Wilhoit S C, Boyd D G, Suratt P M. Cognitive impairment in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and associated hypoxemia.  Chest . 1986;  90 686-689
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Douglas N J. ABC of sleep disorders. The sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome and snoring.  BMJ . 1993;  306(6884) 1057-1060
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Working Group on Sleep Apnea. Sleep apnea: is your patient at risk?.  Am Fam Physician . 1996;  53(1) 247-253
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Riley R W, Powell N B, Guilleminault C, Clerk A, Troell R. Obstructive sleep apnea. Trends in therapy.  West J Med . 1995;  162(2) 143-148
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Haponik H F, Smith P L, Meyers, D A, Bleecker E R. Evaluation of sleep-disordered breathing: is polysomnography necessary?.  Am J Med . 1984;  77 671-677
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Richards W, Ferdman R M. Prolonged morbidity due to delays in the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in children.  Clin Pediatr (Phila) . 2000;  39(2) 103-108
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Netzer N C, Stoohs R A, Netzer C M, Clark K, Strohl K P. Using the Berlin Questionnaire to identify patients at risk for the sleep apnea syndrome.  Ann Intern Med . 1999;  131(7) 485-491
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Kramer N R, Cook T E, Carlisle C C, Corwin R W, Millman R P. The role of the primary care physician in recognizing obstructive sleep apnea.  Arch Intern Med . 1999;  159(9) 965-968
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Report of the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research. Wake Up America: A national sleep alert, Vol 2: Working group reports. U.S. Government Printing Office; 1994
  • 10 Partinen M, Jamieson A, Guilleminault C. Long-term outcome for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome patients.  Chest . 1990;  97 1200-1204
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Burgess K R. Central sleep apnoea and heart failure.  Respirology . 1998;  3(1) 1-11
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Ohayon M M, Guilleminault C, Priest R G, Zulley J, Smirne S. Is sleep-disordered breathing an independent risk factor for hypertension in the general population (13,057 subjects)?.  J Psychosom Res . 2000;  48(6) 593-601
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Bixler E O, Vgontzas A N, Lin H M. Association of hypertension and sleep-disordered breathing.  Arch Intern Med . 2000;  160(15) 2289-2295
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Peppard P E, Young T, Palta M, Skatrud J. Prospective study of the association between sleep-disordered breathing and hypertension.  N Engl J Med . 2000;  342(19) 1378-1384
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Hoffstein V, Chan C K, Slutsky A S. Sleep apnea and systemic hypertension: a causal association review.  Am J Med . 1991;  91 190-196
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Young T, Peppard P, Palta M. Population-based study of sleep-disordered breathing as a risk factor for hypertension.  Arch Intern Med . 1997;  157 1746-1752
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Lavie P, Herer P, Hoffstein V. Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome as a risk factor for hypertension: population study.  BMJ . 2000;  320(7233) 479-482
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Young T, Blustein J, Finn L, Palta M. Sleep-disordered breathing and motor vehicle accidents in a population-based sample of employed adults.  Sleep . 1997;  20(8) 608-613
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Findley L J, Unverzagt M E, Suratt P M. Automobile accidents involving patients with obstructive sleep apnea.  Am Rev Respir Dis . 1988;  138(2) 337-340
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Terán-Santos J, Jimenez-Gomez A, Cordero-Guevara J. The association between sleep apnea and the risk of traffic accidents. Cooperative Group Burgos-Santander.  N Engl J Med . 1999;  340(11) 847-51
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Morris R K. The relation of sleep difficulties to fatigue, mood and disability in chronic fatigue syndrome.  J Psychosom Res . 1997;  42 597-605
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Karacan I, Karatas M. Erectile dysfunction in sleep apnea and response to CPAP.  J Sex Marital Ther . 1995;  21(4) 239-247
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Bolitschek J, Schmeiser-Rieder A, Schobersberger R, Rosenberger A, Kunze M, Aigner K. Impact of nasal continuous positive airway pressure treatment on quality of life in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.  Eur Respir J . 1998;  11(4) 890-894
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 He J, Kryger M H, Zorick F J, Conway W, Roth T. Mortality and Apnea Index in obstructive sleep apnea.  Chest . 1998;  94 9-14
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Noda A, Okada T, Yasuma F, Sobue T, Nakashima N, Yokota M. Prognosis of the middle-aged and aged patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.  Psychiatry Clin Neurosci . 1998;  52 79-85
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Young T, Evans L, Finn L, Palta M. Estimation of the clinically diagnosed proportion of sleep apnea syndrome in middle-aged men and women.  Sleep . 1997;  20(9) 705-706
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 27 Collinson M O, Man G CW, Kang B V. Level of awareness of sleep apnea among Alberta's physicians: a survey.  Sleep Res . 1995;  24 214
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 28 Ancoli-Israel S, Coy T. Are breathing disturbances in elderly equivalent to sleep apnea syndrome?.  Sleep . 1994;  17(1) 77-83
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Kripke D F, Ancoli-Israel S, Klauber M R, Wingard D L, Mason W J, Mullaney D J. Prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing in ages 40-64 years: a population-based survey.  Sleep . 1997;  20(1) 65-76
    Google Scholar
  • 30 Peter J H, Siegrist J, Podszus T, Mayer J, Selzer K, von Wichert P. Prevalence of sleep apnea in healthy industrial workers.  Klin Wochenschr . 1985;  63(17) 807-811
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 31 Orr W C, Stahl M L, Dement W C, Reddington D. Physician education in sleep disorders.  J Med Ed . 1980;  55 367-369
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
      >