This site is intended for healthcare professionals

account_circleSign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Diagnostic tests for obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS)

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Diagnostic tests for obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS)


Diagnosing OHS and assessing ventilatory failure

  • consider measuring serum venous bicarbonate as a preliminary test if the pre-test probability of OHS is low. If bicarbonate levels are below 27 mmol/litre, OHS is unlikely.
  • measure arterial or arterialised capillary blood gases when the person with suspected OHS is awake, to diagnose OHS and assess the extent of chronic ventilatory failure
  • do not delay treatment for acute ventilatory failure to carry out further investigations for OHS

Diagnosing the presence of OSAHS (obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome) or nocturnal hypoventilation in people with OHS

  • offer respiratory polygraphy, either in hospital or at home, to determine the presence of OSAHS in people with suspected OHS
  • consider adding transcutaneous CO2 monitoring during sleep to respiratory polygraphy in people with suspected OHS to determine the extent of nocturnal hypoventilation and provide additional information to guide treatment
  • do not use oximetry alone to determine the presence of OSAHS in people with OHS

Reference:

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.