Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
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Screening for sleep apnea may be useful in a number of settings, such as preoperative testing, clinical research, and evaluation for referral to a sleep center. The purpose of the study was to validate the ApneaLink device (ResMed Corporation, Poway, Calif) for use as a screening tool for sleep apnea in clinical practice. ⋯ Given the prevalence of sleep apnea in the adult population and in specific comorbid conditions, a screening tool may be useful in many diagnostic settings. This study demonstrates that the ApneaLink device provides reliable information, is a simple, easy-to-use device, and is highly sensitive and specific in calculating AHI, when compared with the AHI obtained from full polysomnography.