Examining Obstructive Sleep Apnea Risk and Changes in Oxygen Saturation in an Outpatient Endoscopy Center

The significant increase in obesity, which is classified as a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m² presents potential challenges in the field of office-based anesthesia. As obesity has become more prevalent in our society, the incidence of undiagnosed or untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the associated comorbidities have increased. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to examine the changes between pre-procedural and post-procedural oxygen saturations among patients with moderate to high OSA risk. Methods: Participants (N=316) in the pre-procedural area were screened using the STOP-BANG questionnaire prior to receiving anesthesia. The participant’s STOP-BANG score (SBS) and pre-post procedural oxygen saturations were obtained and documented. Final data was obtained using a retrospective chart review. Results: More than half of the participants’ (59.8%; n=189) were identified as having a moderate to severe risk of OSA (Mean SBS=4, SD=1.05). There was a statistically significant reduction in mean oxygen saturations for participants with moderate to severe OSA risk from pre-procedural (M=97.2%, SD=1.76%) to post-procedural (M=94.2%, SD=3.48%); t (4) = 10.45, p < .001. Discussion: The clinical significance of the findings of this study reinforces the importance of screening all patients in the pre-procedural area to identify those at increased risk of OSA. This will allow referral to sleep specialists and provide evidence-based data that can be utilized by the anesthesia providers to update exclusion criteria identifying patients that are not appropriate for office-based procedures, with the goal of limiting potential adverse events.