By Cara Murez
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, May 24, 2023 (HealthDay News) — When it comes to diagnosing sleep apnea, current screening methods may put Black patients at a disadvantage, new research suggests.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a serious sleep disorder characterized by disrupted breathing during sleep. An initial screening tool might be an overnight pulse oximeter test — a small device clipped on to a fingertip that measures blood oxygen levels.
Investigators began this study after seeing research that pulse oximeters used on intensive care unit patients during the COVID-19 pandemic might be less accurate in Black patients than in white patients.
“While…
