Impact on clinical outcomes, surgical interventions, anaesthetic decisions and complication rates following implementation of the NICE obstructive sleep apnoea guidelines during preoperative screening

•Implementing the NICE OSA guidelines in preoperative patients is beneficial but poses challenges.•Validated screening tool and diagnostics identifies a high prevalence of OSA with minimal symptoms.•Diagnosis of moderate to severe OSA leads to surgical delays and changes in anaesthetic plans.•A prior knowledge of OSA may lead to effective surgical triaging.•Though CPAP therapy may play a role in preventing complications, the acceptance rate is low.•An MDT approach and a dedicated CPAP pathway post-diagnosis may help the clinicians and patients. Unidentified obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) can lead to unexpected perioperative complications, unplanned postoperative admissions and increased length of hospital stay. NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) recommends a rapid preoperative assessment for patients undergoing elective surgery. We have evaluated the impact on implementing the NICE guidelines on clinical outcomes, surgical interventions, anaesthetic decisions and complication rates in surgical patients referred from the pre-assessment clinic prior to an elective intervention. All patients with a clinical suspicion of OSA based on a STOP-Bang score of 3 or more were referred for an overnight oximetry. Demographics, clinical outcomes and the impact on the planned surgical procedures were evaluated. 450 patients (Age 55 ± 14 years, male 69%, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) 7 ± 5) with a STOP-Bang score of 3 or more underwent overnight oximetry (32%; normal, 44%; mild, 15%; moderate and 9%; severe OSA). All patients with moderate and severe OSA were recommended for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy to facilitate their surgical procedures and for long-term cardiometabolic benefits. Diagnosis of moderate/severe OSA had an impact on the surgical decision (P < 0.0001, odds ratio (OR) = 3.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.39–6.02). Severity of OSA affected the planned anaesthetic route (P < 0.0001, OR = 3.94, 95% CI = 2.21–7.05). No significant difference in day case vs non-day case, or need for unplanned admissions to critical care due to better planning pre-procedure. CPAP was initiated preoperatively in a third of patients (mean compliance 3.75 hours/day) and the overall complication rate was 11.6% in the moderate/severe OSA group vs 9.6% in the normal/mild OSA group. Prevalence of OSA is high in presurgical patients identified through preoperative screening. A diagnosis of moderate to severe OSA impacts surgical decision