According to scoring guidelines of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, which piece of equipment is used to identify hypopnea?

According to scoring guidelines of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, which piece of equipment is used to identify hypopnea?

• A. Capnograph
• B. Nasal air pressure transducer
• C. Thermal sensor
• D. None of the above

Answer: (D)

Hypopnea is identified by a measurable drop in airflow, not by CO2 alone or other signals. In PSG, the airflow signal is what reveals this reduction, and the standard tools to capture that signal are an airflow sensor such as a nasal pressure transducer or a thermal sensor (thermistor). Capnography measures expired CO2 and does not by itself define hypopnea the way an airflow signal does. So, the correct approach is to rely on an airflow-sensing device—either a nasal air pressure transducer or a thermal sensor—to identify hypopneas.

Hypopnea is identified by a measurable drop in airflow, not by CO2 alone or other signals. In PSG, the airflow signal is what reveals this reduction, and the standard tools to capture that signal are an airflow sensor such as a nasal pressure transducer or a thermal sensor (thermistor). Capnography measures expired CO2 and does not by itself define hypopnea the way an airflow signal does. So, the correct approach is to rely on an airflow-sensing device—either a nasal air pressure transducer or a thermal sensor—to identify hypopneas.