Why Home Screening?
If you suspect a sleep-related breathing disorder such as obstructive sleep apnoea you have several options. The conventional route is to get your GP to refer you to a sleep clinic. Depending on your luck in the "NHS postcode lottery draw" you may get booked into a clinic after waiting up to a year (source). Several weeks later you will get the results. Up to several months after that, still depending on available funding in your area, you may get supplied with suitable therapy equipment such as CPAP.
Somewhat faster, yet very expensive, is the option of visiting a private sleep clinic. Overnight stays can cost as much as £1,500. This process will normally take several weeks. When the results are in you can choose to join the NHS waiting lists for equipment or buy CPAP privately.
In-home screening is the perfect balance between speed and cost. You order a screening package here on CPAP-Europe - which includes rental of a hi-tech, multi-channel, clinically proven screening device and get it delivered in a matter of days. Clear instructions will tell you how to operate this user friendly piece of equipment for one night, in the comfort of your own home. (Many people report sleeping difficulties in hospital surroundings which may ultimately hamper screening data quality and diagnosis.)
Once returned, we will download the recorded information stored on it and our qualified medical professional experienced in the field of sleep-related breathing disorders will analyse it and write up a summary regarding the severity of the symptoms. They may recommend suitable treatment, if conclusive. If this professional analysis results in the recommendation of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, most private suppliers of such equipment will accept this as a suitable doctor's instruction. Please note that in-home screening does not include CPAP titration (specific pressure settings) so only an Auto-titrating CPAP device can be bought after conclusive diagnosis.
How Does The Stardust II Work?
The Respironics Stardust II is a diagnostic sleep recorder designed to record oral/nasal airflow, respiratory effort, pulse oximetry (pulse rate & percentage oxygen in the blood) and body position supine (on back) or non-supine. The Stardust II detects apneas (total airflow blockages) and hypopneas (partial airflow blockages), by measuring pressure, base airflow, pulse rate, oxygen saturation and desaturation, chest and/or abdominal effort and body position changes via wires and a belt with built-in sensors. This data is used to aid in the diagnosis of sleep-related breathing disorders in adult patients.
Stardust Features:
- Ultra-portable - Weighing less than half a pound (.22lbs - 102 grams without battery)
- Easy to use - Comes with full instructions and diagrams
- Cost Effective - Less than a third of the cost of a normal sleep study
- 7 Channel Output - More than enough data for diagnosis
- Maximum recording time: 8.5 hours
- Battery Life (9 Volt): 17 hours
How Does This Compare To Standard Sleep Tests?
As explained above, it's a lot faster and a lot cheaper. From a technical and quality point of view, it's not all that different from the common standard across the UK. Universities around the world researched diagnosis and treatment of patients with suspected sleep apnea and published their findings in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. In this authoritative journal they concluded that in the UK, around 70% of all sleep studies are oximetry alone and 20% are limited sleep studies, with only 10% being full polysomnography studies (confirmed by the British Sleep Society).
A polysomnography (PSG) records more data than the Stardust II and requires a sleep lab technician to assist with set up. More channels are recorded so it can also report on many other sleep disorders, not necessarily breathing related. Many of these data channels are superfluous for suspected sleep-related breathing disorders. The Stardust II records more than oxygen saturation alone, giving a much better insight into actual breathing patterns. So compared to most UK sleep tests, the Stardust II is more than suitable to detect detailed breathing issues during sleep.
In-Home Screening Process Step-by-Step
Please Note: There is a chance your symptoms look like sleep apnoea but are the result of another source of trouble. To avoid investing in a test which then tells you you don't have any apnoea events, we recommend the following pre-screening methods: Our SleepStrip, setting up a camera overnight (or ask a partner) to monitor breathing patterns, this online questionnaire and Nasal irrigation is also recommended to rule out sinus blockages which may be disrupting breathing.
When you are confident you have narrowed your symptoms down to sleep apnoea...
- You plan a suitable night you wish to conduct the in-home screening. Choose a night you expect to be largely free of stress/worries and physically in a good state for a decent night's sleep. It may help if you don't have to worry about having to get up early so the night before a day off may be best.
- Order the screening kit from CPAP Europe, allowing time for potential courier delays (don't leave it the day before the planned screening night). Your order usually arrives next working day, if placed online or by phone before mid-day.
- Familiarize yourself with the instructions and clear up any doubts or questions you may have before the designated night. Support is only available during office hours so make sure you understand everything before 5.30pm on the last working day before your chosen night. Also check the kit received is complete.
- The oximeter is not intended for use on patients such as heavy smokers, with high carbon monoxide (CO) blood content so make sure you have stopped or massively cut smoking well in advance. On the day, also refrain from stimulants such as alcohol, coffee, energy drinks and meals or drinks high in sugar.
- Bathe or shower and dry well before going to bed to avoid moisture interfering with data capturing.
- Men: hair in and under the nose may interfere with the respiratory flow measurement. Trim or remove where possible. Women: no make-up, dark finger nail polish or dark acrylic nails as these may prevent the oximeter from working.
- Place any electrical and magnetic devices well away from the bed as items such as speakers, alarm clocks, cordless and mobile phones, laptops and computers will interfere with the data capturing process.
- Follow the simple instructions for equipment fitting carefully, turn on the recorder and go to sleep. There are simple procedures outlined in the included instructions which will help with situations such as having to go to the toilet, needing a drink etc.
- Try and record at least 6 and up to 8 hours of sleep. Turn off the device, remove sensors and package it all up in the bag supplied. The return of the equipment will be pre-arranged.
- We aim to supply the results within 7 working days of receiving the recorder back.
What exactly am I buying?
The recorder and accessories will remain property of Just Buy Online, trading as CPAP-Europe.com so you are NOT buying the actual data recorder. You pay for the one time use of this screening tool including a written report on the data gathered. This in-home screening procedure is designed to give you a better insight into your sleep disturbance. Most people don't remember the number of times they wake up during the night so they don't have any indication of the severity of their sleep problems, other than the daytime sleepiness resulting from the disorder. This screening tells you what happens during the night. This detailed knowledge can then be used in pursuit of solving your problems. Please note and understand that paying for and doing this screening does not in itself solve any sleep issues.
Will I Be Diagnosed?
Whilst most in-home screening results lead to a straight-forward interpretation and an obvious conclusion regarding the sleep disorder witnessed, we can not guarantee an exact diagnosis. More often than not, using the Stardust II is sufficient to get an Obstructive Sleep Apnoea patients started on CPAP, however, in-home screening is not a substitute to a full and supervised clinical sleep lab test. Some screening sessions result in inconclusive data which may not point to any sleep-related breathing disorder at all. This screening aims only to present you with an insight into and measurement of your sleep disturbances but is 90% of the time enough to give you an accurate result.
Could This Be A Fast-Track To CPAP Therapy?
Provided the data recorded points to a clear case of sleep apnoea, yes. The Stardust II is capable of providing a detailed enough insight into a patient's sleep disturbances to warrant a strong suggestion to try CPAP.
Is This An Independent Screening?
The data is analyzed by a medical professional, experienced with sleep-related breathing disorders. This medical consultant is under no pressure to interpret the data one way or another. Some private clinics may be eager to push the products they sell. The screening results come from an unbiased medical professional and you are free to use the results as you see fit. We encourage discussing the results with your GP before deciding on a means of treatment.
You deserve it...
Get the sleep you deserve! To make that happen you need to get treatment. Order a Stardust II screening today and be on your way to feeling rested again.
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