Home Screening

The most acceptable way to test for sleep apnea is to book-in for an overnight study at a sleep clinic, called a polysomnography, or PSG. However, it is now possible to do a simple home screening which will indicate the need for further investigation.

The cost of such overnight stays in Australia has been covered by Medicare. Some possible sleep apnea sufferers do not want the inconvenience and commitment of a night away from home. There is also considerable delay in obtaining a bed in public hospitals, ranging from 2 to 24 months. However, private sleep clinics can usually accept bookings immediately, but cost extra.

The PSG measures breathing and Apneas, chest movement, oxygen levels, REM, leg movement, brain activity, heart rate, with a total of about 25 external probes being attached. None of these tests require the puncturing of the skin. These measurements are monitored through the night. It is matter of discussion and opinion whether all this information is essential to diagnose OBD, Obstructive Breathing Disorder, or sleep apnea, but this extra information will help diagnose other less common breathing disorders, as well as other medical conditions such as heart failure and brain disorders. Some sleep or respiratory specialists insist on an overnight sleep study, not only to determine the level and type of your disorder, but also to check other health issues.

If Obstructive Sleep Apnea is confirmed by the PSG, most sleep specialists will insist on a second overnight stay, where again about 24 probes will be attached, as well as a face mask, through which varying pressures will be applied throughout the night to determine the optimal settings.

The patient will also be liable for the cost of the first visit to a sleep specialist, a second visit for the results, a third visit for the pressure settings results, and if not in a public hospital, additional charges of about $400 for the first night, and about $300 for the second night. A patient who attends a private sleep clinic can expect to pay over $1,200, (partially refunded by their health fund in Australia), while Medicare will have paid a similar amount to the clinic for the overnight stays.

The new portable sleep apnea screening machines are simple to operate overnight in the home. The data is then downloaded to a computer, and the results are automatically evaluated and printed.

Although a PSG with more sophisticated machines will show more data, relatively simple machines such as the INSERT NEW PRODUCT  home screener will give an accurate indication of the need for further investigation or treatment, as well as indicating the degree of sleep Apnea.

The INSERT NEW PRODUCT, a unit manufactured by INSERT NAME OF MANUFACTURER, world leaders in OSA technology, is a single channel clinically validated sleep screening device that uses a specially designed nasal canula, (nasal prongs and tube that connects the unit to your nose).  measures, snoring and flow limitation i.e. apneas, automatically.