AN EVALUATION OF PERIOPERATIVE CARE FOR THE OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA PATIENT AT A COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can lead to difficult airway management and perioperative complications. This necessitates individualized anesthetic planning including the reduction in doses of benzodiazepines and opioids. Risk identification is vital to improve perioperative care, as any patients with OSA are undiagnosed. This can be achieved with the STOP-Bang questionnaire. The purpose of this scholarly project was to evaluate current perioperative care practices for benzodiazepine and opioid administration to patients with a high risk of OSA to aid in formulating future recommendations for practice. The guiding PICOT question was: In adult patients ages 40 to 60, who underwent surgical procedures in a community hospital, did a STOP-Bang score ≥ 3, compared to a STOP-Bang score < 3, result in a reduced dose of benzodiazepines and opioids administered perioperatively during the time period of January 2023 to June 2024?
The project took place at a community hospital that is part of a major urban medical center. Data were collected via a retrospective chart review. The sample size was 100 charts. A descriptive analysis of the data was conducted, and significant differences were detected using t-tests and Pearsons r correlations. Although the data analyses revealed no statistically significant findings, clinically relevant findings were apparent because the STOP-Bang score ≥ 3 should have received significantly lower dosages of benzodiazepines and opioids. The results highlight the need for enhanced provider awareness to STOP-Bang scores. Practice recommendations include the use of the STOP-Bang questionnaire for preoperative screening of all patients and the development of a best practice advisory (BPA) to enhance provider awareness.