Factors associated with OSA in pre-operative bariatric patients

Introduction: OSA is associated with a higher risk of post-operative complications, and is routinely screened for in all pre-operative bariatric patients at King’s College Hospital. We investigated factors that may be associated with moderate to severe OSA in bariatric surgical patients. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study of all bariatric surgical patients who were screened for OSA from 2013 to 2015. Case notes and overnight pulse oximetries were reviewed. Results: 403 patients were screened; median (IQR) age 50 (40-78) years, 322 (80%) female, BMI 47.1 (42.6-52.5) kg⋅m-2. 90 (22%) patients had moderate to severe OSA (ODI ≥15); median (IQR) ODI 27.5 (19.6-42.0). Median (IQR) age and BMI were significantly higher in patients with moderate to severe OSA compared to those without; 54 (48-73) vs 48 (38-78) years and 50.3 (47.1-89.3) vs 45.8 (42.2-51.0) kg⋅m-2 respectively (all p Discussion: Age, BMI, snoring, and co-morbidities of diabetes, hypertension and ischaemic heart disease were associated with moderate to severe OSA in bariatric surgical patients. In contrast, sleepiness was not a predictor for moderate to severe OSA in bariatric surgical patients. Further work should investigate the predictive values of a combination of these factors in identifying OSA.