Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26658438›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2015

Validation of the STOP-Bang Questionnaire as a Screening Tool for Obstructive Sleep Apnea among Different Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Mahesh Nagappa, Pu Liao, Jean Wong, Dennis Auckley, Satya Krishna Ramachandran, Stavros Memtsoudis, Babak Mokhlesi, Frances Chung

2 registry-linked trialsAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 291 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
291citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04443582 completednot on this mapstarted 2020, after this paper: background citation

An Exploratory Study of Correlating Point Of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Measures of Sleep Apnea With STOP-BANG Scoring and Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI)

TypeobservationalSponsorRakesh Sondekoppam VijayashankarRan2020 to 2021Enrolled140ConditionsSleep Apnea, Obstructive
NCT06900530 completednot on this mapstarted 2024, after this paper: background citation

Evaluating Sleep Quality With Emerging Technologies

Typeobservational_patient_registrySponsorCase Western Reserve UniversityRan2024 to 2025Enrolled52ConditionsSnoring, Sleep Disturbances, Hypoxia, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

291 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  8. Polysomnographic phenotypes: predictors of treatment response in Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Mandibular Advancement devices.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025
    Trial
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  10. The use of STOP-BANG questionnaire and other difficult airway determinants in difficult airway prediction and correlation.Ulusal travma ve acil cerrahi dergisi = Turkish journal of trauma & emergency surgery : TJTES · 2022
    Trial
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  13. Article
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  15. Recent advances in understanding chemotherapy-induced fatigue in BC patients residing in high-altitude regions: a review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Review
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. A gradual and sustainable approach to diagnosing sleep and circadian disturbances in dementia.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026
    Review
  20. Observational

231 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Mahesh NagappaDepartment of Anesthesiology, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Pu LiaoDepartment of Anesthesiology, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Jean WongDepartment of Anesthesiology, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Dennis AuckleyDivision of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Metro Health Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States of America.
Satya Krishna RamachandranDepartment of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Health System, East Medical Center Drive, Michigan, United States of America.
Stavros MemtsoudisDepartment of Anesthesiology, Hospital for Special Surgery, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, United States of America.
Babak MokhlesiDepartment of Medicine, Sleep Disorders Center and the Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
Frances ChungDepartment of Anesthesiology, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDiagnosing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is clinically relevant because untreated OSA has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The STOP-Bang questionnaire is a validated screening tool for OSA. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the effectiveness of STOP-Bang for screening patients suspected of having OSA and to predict its accuracy in determining the severity of OSA in the different populations.

methodsA search of the literature databases was performed. Inclusion criteria were: 1) Studies that used STOP-Bang questionnaire as a screening tool for OSA in adult subjects (>18 years); 2) The accuracy of the STOP-Bang questionnaire was validated by polysomnography--the gold standard for diagnosing OSA; 3) OSA was clearly defined as apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) or respiratory disturbance index (RDI) ≥ 5; 4) Publications in the English language. The quality of the studies were explicitly described and coded according to the Cochrane Methods group on the screening and diagnostic tests.

resultsSeventeen studies including 9,206 patients met criteria for the systematic review. In the sleep clinic population, the sensitivity was 90%, 94% and 96% to detect any OSA (AHI ≥ 5), moderate-to-severe OSA (AHI ≥15), and severe OSA (AHI ≥30) respectively. The corresponding NPV was 46%, 75% and 90%. A similar trend was found in the surgical population. In the sleep clinic population, the probability of severe OSA with a STOP-Bang score of 3 was 25%. With a stepwise increase of the STOP-Bang score to 4, 5, 6 and 7/8, the probability rose proportionally to 35%, 45%, 55% and 75%, respectively. In the surgical population, the probability of severe OSA with a STOP-Bang score of 3 was 15%. With a stepwise increase of the STOP-Bang score to 4, 5, 6 and 7/8, the probability increased to 25%, 35%, 45% and 65%, respectively.

conclusionThis meta-analysis confirms the high performance of the STOP-Bang questionnaire in the sleep clinic and surgical population for screening of OSA. The higher the STOP-Bang score, the greater is the probability of moderate-to-severe OSA.

Indexed as

HumansMass ScreeningPolysomnographyReproducibility of ResultsSeverity of Illness IndexSleep Apnea, ObstructiveSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID26658438
PMCPMC4678295

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC0
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.