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Permalink Reply by Jenny Nixe on May 1, 2012 at 11:39pm

I am not a professional, but I can't imagine this would work anything near as well as a sleep study. Assuming that it does accurately register blood oxygen, that's only one factor measured during the real test. It will do nothing to measure breathing activity, heart activity, partial arousals and movement.

Is this something a doctor prescribed, or something he got online?

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Permalink Reply by Jan vanNiekerk t SnoringElephant on May 1, 2012 at 11:58pm

I, personally is not in favour of the home test. When you go to a sleep lab you are monitored. The home test can gives an indication, but, the results is just that. At a sleeplab they do adjustments if necessary. They also do an ECG, which test for central apnea. The test is more comprehensive. 

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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on May 2, 2012 at 8:10am

Some insurances are only authorizing a home test.  For simple sleep apnea without comorbidities it's better than not being tested at all (this has been debated at length on the forum and I believe the consensus is an in lab test is the best, if all you can get is a home sleep test I think it's better than nothing).  However if it only records O2 desats it would not detect my sleep apnea as I have never had desaturations.  Once you get in the system with an in lab test I think it is easier to have one when you need a new test.  There are many different home sleep tests available, some being more sophisticated than others.  Your friend's sounds rather simple.  We can only hope if she has sleep apnea it will be detected.  There is a home sleep test device available without prescription-

Sleep Strip - Sleep Apnea Syndrome (SAS) At Home Screen Test Kit

by TestCountry

 

It's available Amazon for $80.00  It measures exhalation from the nose and gives a score in the morning.  I have never seen any reviews.  It wouldn't work for me as I'm a mouth breather.  It seems like more of a toy than a serious test.

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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on May 3, 2012 at 7:10pm

No, I am seeing a trend with these devices already. I have pts coming into the lab that have had:

1. An overnight pulse oximeter test.

2. An HST.

3. An order for a PSG to validate the other 2.

 

Why is this happening? The first 2 test are inconclusive for apnea. Doctors are protecting their butts to keep from getting sued over an invalid result. The goal of the insurance companies to save money is actually backfiring. If the entire field would concentrate on compliance instead of profits the system would work itself out. We need more handholding.

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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on May 7, 2012 at 4:21pm

Zollistar, how did your friend feel about her home sleep study.  I realize it's too soon for the results.

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Permalink Reply by ZolliStar on May 8, 2012 at 12:55pm

     I just got in from an unexpected trip to New Mexico (funeral) and am catching up.

     My friend has not replied to my e-mail asking. He did tell me he was taking the home test, but gave me no results. As soon as I know something, I'll post.

Mary Z said:

Zollistar, how did your friend feel about her home sleep study.  I realize it's too soon for the results.

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Permalink Reply by K. S. on May 8, 2012 at 1:09pm

The home test must be read accurately as some just explain away desats down in the 80s as "basically normal test". This is what occurred in my home test. I demanded a lab sleep study which confirmed severe sleep apnea (AHI of 49 with desats in the low 60s). They could not comment why the home test was so off.  In the sleep lab, the tech had me don up with CPAP after two hours. If you have a home test, be sure and look at your data, especially if you have desats, request full testing.

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope www.hope2Sleep.co.uk on May 9, 2012 at 5:51am

The Sleep Strip you mention Mary is the one we sell on our website and it's definitely not a toy - it's more like one of those pregnancy test kits you can easily buy at the pharmacies - but for checking for OSA.  People in Europe buy them for convincing their GP's to refer them for a full sleep study, as once the GP's are faced with some evidence, they have no alternative than to refer them ;)  They've proved to be unbelievably accurate so far.  They have probes that are placed near the nostrils and the lips and are monitoring the breathing, so they pick up any pauses to breathing (apnoeas).  We sell them for £30 (approx $48) but interestingly the US FDA restricts the sale of them without a prescription!!

Mary Z said:

Some insurances are only authorizing a home test.  For simple sleep apnea without comorbidities it's better than not being tested at all (this has been debated at length on the forum and I believe the consensus is an in lab test is the best, if all you can get is a home sleep test I think it's better than nothing).  However if it only records O2 desats it would not detect my sleep apnea as I have never had desaturations.  Once you get in the system with an in lab test I think it is easier to have one when you need a new test.  There are many different home sleep tests available, some being more sophisticated than others.  Your friend's sounds rather simple.  We can only hope if she has sleep apnea it will be detected.  There is a home sleep test device available without prescription-

Sleep Strip - Sleep Apnea Syndrome (SAS) At Home Screen Test Kit

by TestCountry

 

It's available Amazon for $80.00  It measures exhalation from the nose and gives a score in the morning.  I have never seen any reviews.  It wouldn't work for me as I'm a mouth breather.  It seems like more of a toy than a serious test.

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