STOP-BANG Score for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
Screens for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) using 8 binary questions. Used pre-operatively and in outpatient settings.
How to use & interpret
STOP-BANG screens for obstructive sleep apnoea using eight yes/no items: Snoring, Tiredness, Observed apnoea, high blood Pressure, BMI >35, Age >50, Neck circumference >40 cm, and male Gender.
A score of 0–2 indicates low risk, 3–4 intermediate, and ≥5 high risk of moderate-to-severe OSA. It is useful for pre-operative screening and primary-care case-finding to decide who needs sleep studies, but it is a screening tool, not a diagnosis — confirmation requires sleep testing.
Score interpretation
STOP-BANG 0–2: Low risk for moderate-to-severe OSA.
→ No formal sleep study required unless strong clinical suspicion. Standard pre-op airway assessment.
STOP-BANG 3–4: Intermediate risk. Moderate OSA likely in ~30%.
→ Consider formal sleep study (polysomnography or home sleep test). Alert anaesthetist pre-operatively; plan post-op monitoring, avoid excessive opioids.
STOP-BANG 5–8: High risk. Severe OSA likely in >50%.
→ Formal sleep study indicated. Pre-op: mandatory anaesthetic review, post-op HDU monitoring if major surgery, CPAP available, minimise sedatives.
Interpretation bands for the STOP-BANG. Apply clinical judgement and local guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Does a high STOP-BANG score diagnose sleep apnoea?
No — it identifies people who should undergo definitive sleep testing (e.g. polysomnography or home sleep apnoea testing) to confirm or exclude OSA.
References
- Chung F, et al. STOP questionnaire: a tool to screen patients for obstructive sleep apnea. Anesthesiology. 2008;108(5):812–821.
Related
Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.
- Ketamine (Anaesthesia/Sedation) · Dissociative Anaesthetic (NMDA Receptor Antagonist)
- Morphine (IV/IM — Anaesthesia/ICU) · Strong Opioid Analgesic
- Suxamethonium (Anaesthesia/RSI) · Depolarising Neuromuscular Blocking Agent
- Rocuronium (Anaesthesia/RSI) · Non-Depolarising Neuromuscular Blocking Agent
- Fentanyl (IV — Anaesthesia/ICU) · Opioid Analgesic (Short-Acting)
- Lidocaine (IV — Anaesthesia/ICU) · Local Anaesthetic / Antiarrhythmic (Class Ib)
- Acute Asthma in Adults · BTS/SIGN British Guideline on Asthma 2019; NICE NG80
- Pulmonary Embolism Assessment · NICE NG158; ESC 2019 PE Guidelines
- Acute Exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) · NICE NG115; GOLD 2024
- Spontaneous Pneumothorax (Adult) · BTS Pleural Disease 2023
- Atypical Pneumonia (Legionella / Mycoplasma / Chlamydophila) · BTS 2023; IDSA
- COPD Exacerbation Management · NICE NG115 / GOLD 2024
Decision support only — verify against a current formulary, NICE, or your local guideline before clinical use.