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STOP-Bang questionnaire (OSA screening)

Also called STOP-BANG, STOP Bang score, obstructive sleep apnoea screening

Eight yes/no items that stratify risk of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea before surgery.

STOP-Bang

0 / 8

OSA risk
Low risk

Low risk of moderate-to-severe OSA. Score ≥ 3 had 93% sensitivity for AHI > 15 and 100% for AHI > 30 in surgical patients.

Formula and scoring

1 point each. 0–2 low, 3–4 intermediate, 5–8 high. Also high: ≥ 2 of the 4 STOP items plus male sex, or BMI > 35, or neck ≥ 40 cm.

Exam and ward pearls

  • High sensitivity, modest specificity: a low score is good at ruling out moderate–severe OSA.
  • Probability of moderate–severe OSA rises from 18% (score 0–2) to 60% (score 7–8).

When not to rely on it

  • Screening tool only – diagnosis needs polysomnography. Validated mainly in adult surgical and sleep-clinic populations.

Source

  1. Chung F, Yegneswaran B, Liao P, et al. STOP questionnaire: a tool to screen patients for obstructive sleep apnea. Anesthesiology. 2008;108(5):812-21. doi:10.1097/ALN.0b013e31816d83e4 · PMID 18431116
  2. Chung F, Abdullah HR, Liao P. STOP-Bang Questionnaire: a practical approach to screen for obstructive sleep apnea. Chest. 2016;149(3):631-8. doi:10.1378/chest.15-0903 · PMID 26378880
  3. STOP-Bang questionnaire – official scoring (University Health Network, Toronto). Link

Formula and cut-offs checked against these sources on 8 Nov 2026. Educational tool for clinicians; it does not replace clinical judgement.

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