Respiratory and sleep medicine
Obstructive sleep apnoea and sleep-disordered breathing
Who to test and how, AHI severity, the cardiorespiratory effects of sleep-disordered breathing, CPAP and its alternatives (splints, surgery, tirzepatide), central sleep apnoea and ASV, and Austroads driving rules.
Tier 1Condition
Written with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources below. For exam study, not clinical decisions. How notes are made
At a glance
- OSA is repeated collapse of the upper airway during sleep, causing apnoeas and hypopnoeas, oxygen desaturation and arousals. Moderate to severe OSA affects around 1 in 10 middle-aged adults, and most are undiagnosed.
- Diagnosis needs symptoms plus a sleep study: AHI 5 or more with symptoms or comorbidity, or 15 or more on its own.
- CPAP treats sleepiness and improves quality of life and blood pressure. It hasn't been shown to prevent cardiovascular events (SAVE).
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Sources
- Clinical resources and guidelines for sleep apnoeaAU/NZAustralasian Sleep Association
- Assessing Fitness to Drive for commercial and private vehicle drivers (sleep disorders chapter)AU/NZAustroads and National Transport Commission, 2022
- MBS item 12250 and explanatory note DN.1.17 (unattended sleep study for suspected OSA)AU/NZAustralian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (MBS Online), descriptor updated March 2021
- CPAP for prevention of cardiovascular events in obstructive sleep apnea (SAVE)New England Journal of Medicine (McEvoy et al), 2016
- Effect of multilevel upper airway surgery vs medical management on the apnea-hypopnea index and patient-reported daytime sleepiness among patients with moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea (SAMS)JAMA (MacKay et al), 2020
- Clinical practice guideline for diagnostic testing for adult obstructive sleep apneaAmerican Academy of Sleep Medicine (Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine), 2017
- Treatment of adult obstructive sleep apnea with positive airway pressureAmerican Academy of Sleep Medicine (Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine), 2019
- Adaptive servo-ventilation for central sleep apnea in systolic heart failure (SERVE-HF)New England Journal of Medicine (Cowie et al), 2015
- Adaptive servo-ventilation for sleep-disordered breathing in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (ADVENT-HF)The Lancet Respiratory Medicine (Bradley et al), 2024
- Treatment of central sleep apnea in adults: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guidelineAmerican Academy of Sleep Medicine (Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, Badr et al), 2025
- Tirzepatide for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and obesity (SURMOUNT-OSA)New England Journal of Medicine (Malhotra et al), 2024
- Last updated
- 14 November 2026
What changed
- 14 November 2026 Personal emails, About story and Australian-style copy