SLEEP apnea can put surgical patients at high risk for respiratory complications during and after surgery. But of the 2% to 26% of Americans who have the condition, some 80% of men and 93% of women don't know it. Now anesthesiology researchers have developed a scoring system, published in the May journal Anesthesiology, to quickly identify obstructive sleep apnea sufferers before surgery. The disorder, characterized by loud snoring, puts people at risk of heart attack, irregular heart rhythm, diabetes and even traffic accidents.
