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STOP-BANG Questionnaire Explained

The STOP-BANG questionnaire is a widely used screening tool for obstructive sleep apnea. It is addressed to patients with symptoms such as drowsiness, snoring, observed periods of night time apnea or noisy breathing and can also be used as part of the sleep apnea assessment.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused by an obstruction of the upper airway, which results in diminished breathing (hypopnea) or a period of stopped breathing (apnea). Diagnosis after screening may involve polysomnography with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) being the first line of treatment.

OSA is a treatable condition, when undiagnosed and left untreated can lead to cardiac disease, stroke, or heart attacks. Treating OSA potentially with CPAP or other approved forms of treatment can be vital to your health and well-being. It all starts with diagnosis. Take your STOP-BANG assessment and contact your primary care provider or our sleep specialists today with any questions regarding your results or our testing processes.

STOP-Bang has a total of 8 items which form an acronym as follows:

• Snoring?
• Tired? (Tired, fatigued, or sleepy during the daytime)
• Observed? (Stop breathing or choking/ gasping during your sleep)
• Pressure? (High blood pressure)
• Body Mass Index
• Age
• Neck size
• Gender

The STOP-BANG Questionnaire was developed by Dr. Frances Chung, a professor of the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management at University Health Network, University of Toronto.

Interpretation of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale

A threshold at 9 points has been established which means that scores below 9 are considered in the normal range of sleep propensity while scores above 0 may indicate the presence of one or more sleep disturbances.

Therefore, scores between 10 and 24 come with the recommendation for further diagnosis and treatment.

When analysing the ESS results and taking in consideration the risk for sleep apnea, results between 11 and 15 are associated with the probability of an additional diagnosis of mild to moderate sleep apnea. Scores above 16 are associated with probability of additional diagnosis of severe sleep apnea and/or narcolepsy.