gms | German Medical Science

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome(OSAS) is respiratory distress appearing and presenting via episodes during sleep. The present study proposes analyzing the implication of cephalometric and clinical measurements in evaluating patients with respiratory distress during sleep, as well as psychological impact on patients regarding their consent to be subjected to various methods of investigations used to obtain a positive diagnosis of OSAS, and respectively, the analysis of factors that influence decisions on the part of patients.

Methods: The present thesis processes data obtained from patients investigated in our clinic in 2013. We have analyzed the degree of modifications encountered and the usefulness of investigations applied in diagnosing OSAS. Patients were subjected to an evaluation of the level of knowledge they possess about the operational procedure of investigations used in diagnosing OSAS. These results have been processed statistically.

Results: The consent of patients to be subjected to various methods of investigation is influenced by their degree of intelligence, financial circumstances and to a great extent, by information collected from the media and the Internet. The less known an investigative method is, the more consent to be examined decreases, and many patients change their minds about investigation methods used in diagnosing OSAS after they have been informed by medical staff with regard to the way the examination is carried out.

Conclusions: The importance of imaging as well as clinical evaluation has great import as to what concerns obtaining a positive diagnosis in patients with OSAS. It is important that patients be appropriately informed, and it is necessary that the information come from medical staff that is well prepared.

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