A Suyvey To Assess Cardiologist’s Knowledge And Attitudes About Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypopnea Syndrome

[Background and Object]Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome refers to frequent in part or all of airway obstruction, again and again apnea and (or) hypopnea appeared during the process of sleep, blood oxygen desaturation, disrupt the normal ventilation and sleep in the body structure appear a series of pathological changes of physiological clinical syndrome. OSAHS is a potentially dangerous common disease, that can have serious consequences to the human body. Due to long-term hypoxia and hypercapnia, a series of pathological and physiological changes, based on the body metabolic disorders many complications can happen, such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes. In the research of etiology, target organ damage, therapeutic about OSAHS, appear interdisciplinary situation, involves ENT, heart medicine, respiratory medicine, endocrine division, dental, nerve internal medicine, and so on. Each subject clinicians should improve the understanding of the OSAHS, play to their respective discipline superiority, thus improve the diagnosis and treatment of OSAHS. This research aims to analyze the knowledge and attitudes about obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in the clinicians of departments of Cardiology, improve their awareness with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome. [Methods]A validated questionnaire from USA which is the "Obstructive Sleep Apnea Knowledge and Attitudes Questionnaire (OSAKA)"was used. The questionnaire was mailed to clinicians of departments of Cardiology in38public hospitals in Shandong Province.[Results]1. Totally,268valid questionnaires (89.33%) were returned. Correction rate in average of all knowledge items were.72%. More score on the knowledge OSAKA portion of pathophysiology, but limited in OSAHS treatment. Among them, only18.28%(0.18±0.39) of clinicians knew " Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty is curative for the majority of patients with Obstructive sleep apnea (item2)" was wrong;26.87%(0.27±0.44) of clinicians recognized "Laser-assisted uvuloplasty is an appropriate treatment for severe OSA" was also a mistaken choice. Only58.96%of clinician knew "CPAP is the first line therapy for severe obstructive sleep apnea" was correct.2. While more than85%of the participants stated that"As a clinical disorder OSAHS is important or very, extremely important" and only64.55%thought"it is important to identify patients at risk for obstructive sleep apnea". However, among them, only39.92%felt confident in diagnosis and37.31%felt confident in manage OSAHS patients, especially in CPAP treatment (41.05%).3. Individual knowledge items did not differ significantly by gender or by whether or not respondents had completed subspecialty training. There was not any significant correlation between the total knowledge scores with sex, age, and the years in practice. More knowledge was associated with more positive attitudes overall and more elder in age or longer years in practice.[Conclusions]1. According to investigation questionnaire response, Cardiologists have a more comprehensive knowledge of OSAHS pathogenesis, with high accuracy rate, while the more limited knowledge about the treatment of OSAHS, with low accuracy rate.2. Regardless of gender, age, record of formal schooling, technical titles and practice time, Cardiologists have a Comprehensive understanding and mastering for OSAHS professional knowledge.3. A linear correlation between the growth of the age and the increase of the work time of Cardiologists and the self-confidence and overall recognition for OSAHS treatment.4. There is no significant difference on the awareness of importance of OSAHS and differential diagnosis between different levels of surveyed hospitals. At the same time, the stronger Cardiologists self-confidence for OSAHS treatment, the higher the accurate rate of knowledge entries.[Significance]There is a big difference in the understanding of OSAHS for different doctors. The purpose of this survey is to explain the differences, in order to promote the comprehensive clinical doctors know of the relationship between the sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease, to improve control and prevention level about sleep apnea and related disease. We call on clinical doctors to pay attention to the relationship between OSAHS and cardiovascular disease. To put forward the improvement suggestions and measures, make unified cognition of OSAHS for doctor at all levels, and to enhance the OSAHS diagnosis and treatment.