Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Serum bicarbonate levels below 27 mmol/L can effectively rule out Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome (OHS) in obese patients with sleep-disordered breathing who have a low to moderate pretest probability (<20%) of having the condition.
If you are obese and have sleep apnea, your doctor can check your blood bicarbonate level. If it is below 27, it is very unlikely you have the serious breathing condition called OHS, and you might not need more invasive blood tests. If it is higher, you likely need further testing.
WeakRefutesVERY_LOW confidence
We suggest that clinicians use a serum bicarbonate level <27 mmol/L to exclude the diagnosis of OHS in obese patients with sleep-disordered breathing when suspicion for OHS is not very high (<20%)
Why this rating
Guideline states 'very low level of certainty in the evidence'.
Source
Evaluation and Management of Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome. An Official American Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline
Babak Mokhlesi et al. · American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine · 2019
Meta-analysis · 31 studiesCited 272×
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