In obese patients, which diagnostic test is indicated for evaluation of sleep-disordered breathing?

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Multiple Choice

In obese patients, which diagnostic test is indicated for evaluation of sleep-disordered breathing?

Evaluating sleep-disordered breathing in obese patients hinges on a formal sleep study. Polysomnography records brain activity, eye movements, muscle tone, airflow, respiratory effort, and oxygen saturation overnight, producing the apnea-hypopnea index to quantify how often breathing is disrupted and whether events are obstructive or central. This comprehensive testing directly confirms the presence and severity of sleep apnea, which is especially common in obesity and guides treatment like CPAP. The other options describe consequences or associated conditions (low oxygen, pulmonary/systemic hypertension, cor pulmonale) rather than a diagnostic test for the sleep disorder itself, so they don’t establish the diagnosis.

Evaluating sleep-disordered breathing in obese patients hinges on a formal sleep study. Polysomnography records brain activity, eye movements, muscle tone, airflow, respiratory effort, and oxygen saturation overnight, producing the apnea-hypopnea index to quantify how often breathing is disrupted and whether events are obstructive or central. This comprehensive testing directly confirms the presence and severity of sleep apnea, which is especially common in obesity and guides treatment like CPAP. The other options describe consequences or associated conditions (low oxygen, pulmonary/systemic hypertension, cor pulmonale) rather than a diagnostic test for the sleep disorder itself, so they don’t establish the diagnosis.

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