Preoperative assessment: screening for sleep apnoea: practice question

A Anaesthesia question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Anaesthesia · Preoperative assessment: screening for sleep apnoea

Sample item

A 56-year-old man with hypertension, a BMI of 38 kg/m2 and a neck circumference of 45 cm is listed for elective hernia repair. He snores loudly, is tired during the day, and his wife has seen him stop breathing in his sleep. Which pre-anaesthetic tool is designed to flag his likelihood of obstructive sleep apnoea?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. STOP-BANG questionnaire

STOP-BANG scores snoring, tiredness, observed apnoea, pressure (hypertension), BMI, age, neck size and male sex. A high score predicts moderate to severe sleep apnoea and prompts caution with sedatives and opioids and planning for postoperative monitoring.

Option by option

  • A. Modified Mallampati classification

    Mallampati grades the oropharyngeal view to predict difficult laryngoscopy and does not screen for sleep apnoea.

  • B. STOP-BANG questionnaire (correct)

    Correct. It is the validated preoperative screening questionnaire for obstructive sleep apnoea.

  • C. Apfel score

    The Apfel score predicts postoperative nausea and vomiting.

  • D. Revised Cardiac Risk Index

    The Revised Cardiac Risk Index estimates the risk of major cardiac complications after non-cardiac surgery.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Anaesthesia question

What is the answer to this Anaesthesia question?

The best answer is B, STOP-BANG questionnaire. STOP-BANG scores snoring, tiredness, observed apnoea, pressure (hypertension), BMI, age, neck size and male sex.

Why is "Modified Mallampati classification" not the answer?

Mallampati grades the oropharyngeal view to predict difficult laryngoscopy and does not screen for sleep apnoea.

Why is "Apfel score" not the answer?

The Apfel score predicts postoperative nausea and vomiting.

Why is "Revised Cardiac Risk Index" not the answer?

The Revised Cardiac Risk Index estimates the risk of major cardiac complications after non-cardiac surgery.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Preoperative assessment: screening for sleep apnoea in Anaesthesia. A high score predicts moderate to severe sleep apnoea and prompts caution with sedatives and opioids and planning for postoperative monitoring.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Preoperative assessment: screening for sleep apnoea?

Make a table of each agent, its key advantage and its main side effect. Then use the flashcards and the other Anaesthesia questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.