Indian Journal of Sleep Medicine

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VOLUME 16 , ISSUE 2 ( April-June, 2021 ) > List of Articles

Original Article

Pharyngeal Airway Dimensions Assessed by Acoustic Pharyngometry in a Mixed Indian Population: A Cross-sectional Study

Sanjeev Datana, SS Agarwal, Mohit Sharma

Citation Information : Datana S, Agarwal S, Sharma M. Pharyngeal Airway Dimensions Assessed by Acoustic Pharyngometry in a Mixed Indian Population: A Cross-sectional Study. Indian Sleep Med 2021; 16 (2):40-43.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10069-0070

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 13-07-2021

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2021; The Author(s).


Abstract

Background: Acoustic pharyngometry (AP) is a noninvasive modality for the assessment of upper airway dimensions. Early detection of structural narrowing of the upper airway may enable the clinician early detection of upper airway sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). At present, norms for various airway parameters assessed on AP for the Indian population are not available. Material and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on AP records of 560 subjects (428 males and 132 females) in the age-group of 20–40 years. The study included subjects with body mass index (BMI) and neck circumference within normal limits, having a straight facial profile and Angle's class I with no discrepancy in transverse, sagittal, and vertical dimensions. The data were analyzed using a statistical package for social sciences (SPSS version 21.0, IBM Corporation, USA) for MS Windows. Results: The results of the study indicated that the mean volume of the pharyngeal airway in males and females was 27.98 cm3 and 28.5 cm3, respectively. The mean area in males and females was 2.84 cm2 and 2.85 cm2, respectively. The minimum area in males and females was 1.76 cm2 and 1.74 cm2, respectively. Conclusions: The mean values of various airway parameters obtained in the present study can serve as reference values in respect of the mixed Indian population and as a guideline for screening of large number of patients, especially with regard to the detection of the compromised upper airway.


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