[The use of computer pulse oximetry monitoring for screening of sleep apnea in patients of a hospital cardiology department].

In order to assess the overall prevalence of sleep apnea of obstructive and central origin in of patients hospital cardiology department we performed continuous pulse oximetry monitoring during sleep in all patients admitted over 2 months. Of the 139 patients reliable results were obtained in 125 (89.9%). In 72% of patients desaturation index was 5 or more, indicating probability of sleep apnea. In 36% of patients oxygen desaturation index was > or = 15, which corresponded to moderate forms of sleep apnea. And only 28% of patients had no pathological changes in the nocturnal oxygen saturation curve. Thus, in patients hospital cardiology department we revealed extremely high prevalence of sleep apnea of various origins. Showed the technical feasibility of the continuous pulse oximetry monitoring for mass screening of apnea during sleep.