The Epwoh scale is used for assessing?: (A) Body mass index, (B) Vital capacity in post-operative patients, (C) Sleep apnea, (D) Risk of embolism in perioperative patient
Answer is C. The Epwoh sleepiness scale has been validated primarily in obstructive sleep apnea, though it has also shown success in detecting narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia. It is used to measure excessive daytime sleepiness and is repeated after the administration of treatment (e.g. CPAP) to document improvement of symptoms. Fill up a questionnaire and if score is >8 medical advices is recommended and a polysomnography should be done. In narcolepsy, the Epwoh sleepiness scale has both a high specificity (100%) and sensitivity (93.5%).