• Connie Hardy Tabet and Kathy Lopez-Bushnell.
• J. Perianesth. Nurs. 2018 Dec 1; 33 (6): 790-800.

PurposeThis study was aimed to identify potential obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in ambulatory surgical patients and create perianesthesia nursing protocols using a reliable and validated screening tool.DesignDescriptive survey.MethodsA nurse-initiated OSA survey was conducted in 1,118 preoperative ambulatory patients using the STOP-Bang Questionnaire to identify patients at risk for OSA. The findings resulted in the development of protocols, patient education, and interventions.FindingsAmbulatory surgical patients were not routinely assessed for OSA before this study. The study verified that 10% of patients scheduled for ambulatory elective surgery had undiagnosed OSA and, because of the OSA identification, 16% of all scheduled surgeries were canceled. There were no unnecessary hospitalizations after the nurse-initiated OSA protocol.ConclusionsThe STOP-Bang Questionnaire is a useful tool for screening patients with risks of OSA in the ambulatory surgical setting. This study supports using nursing best practices and safe patient care.Copyright © 2017 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

23 keywords...

hide…