Comparison of Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores by patients with obstructive sleep apnea and their bed partners.

OBJECTIVES: In some patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores (ESS) do not reflect the severity of disease. In many cases, bed partners (BPs) report more severe hypersomnia on the part of the patient than the patient him/herself. The purpose of this study was to assess the agreement between patients and BPs on ESS scores and to compare patients and BPs on the correlation between ESS and the severity of OSA.

METHODS: ESS scores were estimated by patients and their BPs and their scores were compared. The correlation between the ESS and the apnea-hypopnea index, arousal index, minimum oxygen desaturation, and body mass index of the patient was estimated and compared between the patient and BP.

RESULTS: ESS scores of the patient and BP were similar in their correlation with polysomnographic variables. BPs tended to give slightly higher ESS scores than the patient.

CONCLUSIONS: ESS scores as estimated by BPs of patients with OSA did not correlate more positively with polysomnographic variables of OSA severity than scores estimated by affected patients.