What is the best measure of daytime sleepiness in adults with heart failure?

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To identify the best screening measure of daytime sleepiness in adults with heart failure (HF).

Data sources

A total of 280 adults with HF completed the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the Stanford Sleepiness Scale, and a single Likert item measuring daytime sleepiness. The sensitivity and specificity of these self-report measures were assessed in relation to a measure of daytime dysfunction from poor sleep quality.

Conclusions

Only 16% of the sample reported significant daytime dysfunction because of poor sleep quality. Those reporting daytime dysfunction were likely to be younger (p < .001), to be unmarried (p = .002), to have New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class IV HF (p = .015), and to report low income (p = .006) and fewer hours of sleep (p = .015). The measure of daytime sleepiness that was most sensitive to daytime dysfunction was a single Likert item measured on a 10-point (1-10) scale. Patients with a score ≥4 were 2.4 times more likely to have daytime dysfunction than those with a score <4.

Implications for practice

Complaints of daytime dysfunction because of poor sleep are not common in adults with HF. Routine use of a single question about daytime sleepiness can help nurse practitioners to identify those HF patients with significant sleep issues that may require further screening.

SUBMITTER: Riegel B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4130314 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature