Validation of the Nox-T3 Portable Monitor for Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Chinese Adults.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the performance of a portable monitor (Nox-T3, Nox Medical Inc. Reykjavik, Iceland) used to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea in Chinese adults.

METHODS: Eighty Chinese adults (mean ± standard deviation age 47.6 ± 14.0 years, 77.5% males, body mass index 27.5 ± 5.4 kg/m2 ) underwent overnight, unattended home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) with the Nox-T3 portable monitor followed by an overnight in-laboratory polysomnogram (PSG) with simultaneous portable monitor recording. The portable monitor recordings were scored using automated analysis and then manually edited using different criteria for scoring hypopneas. Polysomnography was scored based on recommended guidelines.

RESULTS: When scoring of hypopneas required a ≥ 4% oxygen desaturation event, the mean ± standard deviation apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 24.4 ± 20.8 events/h on HSAT, 28.0 ± 22.9 events/h on in-laboratory portable monitor recording, and 28.6 ± 23.9 events/h on PSG ( P < .0001). Bland-Altman analysis of AHI on PSG versus HSAT showed a mean difference (95% confidence interval) of -4.64 (-7.15, -2.13); limits of agreement (equal to ± 2 standard deviations) was -26.62 to 17.35 events/h. Based on a threshold of AHI ≥ 5 events/h, HSAT had 95% sensitivity, 69% specificity, 94% positive predictive value, and 75% negative predictive value compared to PSG. Using an AHI ≥ 15 events/h, HSAT had 93% sensitivity, 85% specificity, 89% positive predictive value, and 91% negative predictive value. Closer agreements were present when comparing the simultaneous recordings. Similar results were obtained using different scoring criteria for hypopneas.

CONCLUSIONS: Despite known differences between HSAT and PSG, the results show close agreement between the two diagnostic tests in Chinese adults, especially when controlling for night-to-night variability and changes in sleeping environment.