STOP-BANG

CRNA Study Suite · OSA Screening
All Calculators STOP-BANG
Answer each question (click Yes / No)
STOP-BANG Score
0
of 8 — pending answers
Interpretation (Krogh, 2023, p. 1096)
0-2: Low risk for OSA
3-4: Intermediate risk
5-8: High risk — strong likelihood of moderate-severe OSA

≥3 "yes" answers: high risk for OSA; sensitivity up to 93%.
(Krogh, 2023, p. 1096)
Anesthetic Implications for OSA
• Difficult airway: ramp/HELP position, CPAP preoxygenation, videolaryngoscopy ready
• Minimize opioids; multimodal analgesia preferred
• Regional anesthesia preferred when feasible
• Continuous pulse oximetry post-op; consider PAP therapy postoperatively
• Higher rate of postoperative respiratory complications
(Krogh, 2023, pp. 1096-1097, 1104, 1106)
References

Krogh, M. A. (2023). Obesity and anesthesia practice. In S. Elisha, J. S. Heiner, & J. J. Nagelhout (Eds.), Nurse anesthesia (7th ed., pp. 1092-1108). Elsevier.

How this works

What STOP-BANG screens for

The STOP-BANG questionnaire screens surgical patients for undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea using eight yes or no criteria: Snoring loudly, daytime Tiredness, Observed apnea, treated or elevated blood Pressure, BMI over 35, Age over 50, Neck circumference over 40 cm, and male Gender (Krogh, 2023, p. 1096). A score of 3 or more classifies a patient as high risk, with sensitivity up to 93% (Krogh, 2023, p. 1096; Sheets, 2023, p. 360).

Why it matters for anesthesia

Unrecognized OSA raises the risk of difficult mask ventilation and intubation, opioid induced ventilatory impairment, and postoperative airway obstruction, prompting closer monitoring and opioid sparing technique (Krogh, 2023, p. 1096; Charchaflieh, 2022, pp. 15-16).

References

Krogh, M. A. (2023). Obesity and anesthesia practice. In Elisha, Heiner, & Nagelhout (Eds.), Nurse anesthesia (7th ed., pp. 1092-1108). Elsevier. Sheets, S. A. (2023). Preoperative evaluation. Same volume, pp. 336-375.