Comprehensive Nursing Intervention Improves Polysomnography Success, Safety, and Patient Experience in Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

BACKGROUND

Polysomnography (PSG) is the gold standard for diagnosing Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS); however, monitoring failure and patient discomfort can compromise diagnostic accuracy. This study evaluated whether comprehensive nursing interventions improved PSG monitoring success, clinical parameters, and patient outcomes.

METHODS

This prospective observational cohort study included 100 patients with OSAS who underwent PSG. Participants were sequentially allocated to a control group (n=50) receiving standard care or an observation group (n=50) receiving comprehensive nursing intervention. The intervention integrated structured patient education, proactive technical management of monitoring equipment, cardiovascular risk assessment, and psychological support for patients. The primary outcomes were the PSG success rate and monitoring interruptions. Secondary outcomes included oxygen saturation, sleep architecture, cardiovascular events, and psychological status (anxiety and depression scores). Between-group comparisons were performed using independent t-tests, chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression to adjust for potential confounders.

RESULTS

The observation group demonstrated a significantly higher monitoring success rate than the control group (96.0% vs. 82.0%, P=0.025; odds ratio [OR] = 5.27, 95% CI: 1.12-24.84) and fewer monitoring interruptions (16.0% vs. 36.0%, P=0.023). The intervention group also showed significantly improved mean and lowest arterial oxygen saturation, reduced obstructive apneas and awakenings, and shortened sleep latency (all P<0.0001). No statistically significant difference was observed in the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) between the groups (P=0.312), suggesting that the intervention did not alter the underlying OSAS severity. Furthermore, the incidence of abnormal blood pressure (4.0% vs. 20.0%, P=0.014) and arrhythmia (2.0% vs. 16.0%, P=0.014) was significantly lower. Post-intervention, the observation group reported significantly lower anxiety and depression scores (P<0.0001).

CONCLUSION

A structured nursing intervention was associated with improved PSG technical success, reduced cardiovascular events during monitoring, and better psychological well-being of patients. These findings suggest that comprehensive nursing protocols may optimize diagnostic quality in sleep medicine, although multicenter randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm causality.