Stop Bang Calculator - OSA Risk Score and Band

The stop bang calculator is a quick preoperative and primary-care screen for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It totals the eight STOP-BANG items and labels the 0 to 8 total against the AASM-cited low, intermediate, and high risk bands.

• • Self check before a primary care visit: answer the eight questions at home so the visit starts with a shared score.
• • Preoperative OSA screen before anesthesia: use the same eight items the perioperative guidelines adopted.
• • Re-screening after a behavior change: repeat the form months later to see if weight loss or CPAP shifted the total into a lower band.
• • Family check for an at-risk relative: complete the form for a partner or family member who snores loudly.

The form keeps the wording of the original STOP-BANG validation paper.

A positive screen is a starting point for a clinician referral, not a diagnosis of OSA.

When a STOP-BANG screen is high risk, the AHI Calculator turns the apnea and hypopnea counts from a sleep study into the apnea hypopnea index that the AASM uses for the severity band.

The tool applies the standard STOP-BANG scoring rule in two steps. It derives the three numeric items (B from BMI, A from age, N from neck circumference), sums the eight 0 or 1 answers, and compares the total to the AASM-cited 0 to 2, 3 to 4, and 5 to 8 risk bands.

• snore: S - Snoring loudly enough to bother a bed partner. 0 = No, 1 = Yes.
• tired: T - Often tired, fatigued, or sleepy during the day, such as dozing off while driving. 0 = No, 1 = Yes.
• observed: O - Has anyone observed you stop breathing, choke, or gasp in your sleep. 0 = No, 1 = Yes.
• pressure: P - Diagnosed or treated for high blood pressure. 0 = No, 1 = Yes.
• bmiOver35: B - BMI greater than 35 kg per square meter, derived from height and weight.
• ageOver50: A - Older than 50 years. 0 if 50 or below, 1 if above 50.
• largeNeck: N - Neck greater than 17 inches (43 cm) for men or 16 inches (41 cm) for women. 0 if at or below the cutoff, 1 if above.
• male: G - Male sex. 1 for male, 0 for female. Also drives the sex-specific neck cutoff.

The result panel shows the per-item scores, the derived BMI, and the risk band together.

According to Chung et al. (Anesthesiology, 2008), the STOP-BANG questionnaire is an eight-item screen for obstructive sleep apnea, with a large neck of greater than 17 inches (43 cm) for men or 16 inches (41 cm) for women, a BMI greater than 35, and an age greater than 50 each contributing one point.

Because the B item of STOP-BANG is the easiest to miss, the BMI Calculator shows the underlying body mass index so the > 35 cutoff is transparent and the per-item score is easy to verify.

Four concepts keep the score from being read as a personal verdict.

The single most important distinction is screening versus diagnosis. A positive screen does not meet the AASM criteria for OSA.

STOP-BANG catches the nighttime picture of obstructive sleep apnea, while the Epworth Sleepiness Scale Calculator scores the daytime sleepiness side with the same 0 to 3 per-item style so the two screens can be used together.

The form is an eight-item past-year survey plus a sex selector and three numeric helpers for age, height and weight, and neck circumference.

1. 1 Pick the sex: choose male or female. The sex selection sets the neck cutoff and adds the G item.
2. 2 Enter the four S, T, O, and P items: pick yes if the past-year behavior matches the wording. Each yes is 1 point.
3. 3 Enter the age in years: the A item is 1 if age is above 50, and 0 if age is 50 or below.
4. 4 Enter height and weight in metric units: height in cm and weight in kg derive the BMI > 35 item.
5. 5 Enter the neck circumference in cm: measure just below the Adam's apple. The N item is 1 if above 43 cm (men) or 41 cm (women).
6. 6 Read the total and the risk band together: treat the total and the band as a set, then look at the per-item scores.

A 55-year-old man who snores loudly, has been told he stops breathing, is on blood pressure medication, weighs 98 kg at 175 cm, and has a 44 cm neck enters S = 1, T = 1, O = 1, P = 1, age 55, height 175, weight 98, neck 44, sex male. The total is 7 and the band is high risk of OSA.

The P item of STOP-BANG is high blood pressure, and the Blood Pressure Calculator helps check whether a recent reading crosses the 140 over 90 line that a clinician would treat as a P yes.

Using the tool the way the validation paper and the AASM describe it gives several practical benefits over a single yes or no question about snoring.

• • Eight-item brevity: the questionnaire takes under two minutes and uses the published wording.
• • Per-item readout: the result panel shows each item on its own row, so it is easy to see which is driving the total.
• • Sex-aware neck cutoff: the large neck item uses 17 inches (43 cm) for men and 16 inches (41 cm) for women.
• • Derived BMI helper: the B item is derived from height and weight, avoiding the mistake of scoring 0 when BMI is just over 35.
• • AASM-cited risk bands: the band labels use the 0 to 2, 3 to 4, and 5 to 8 thresholds cited by the AASM.
• • Screening disclaimer: the result is framed as a screen, not a diagnosis, which matches the next step of a confirmatory sleep study.

A high risk STOP-BANG screen pairs well with a nightly sleep budget, and the Sleep Calculator turns an age-based nightly target into the wake and bedtime hours that the AASM cites for adults.

The result depends on the items entered and the cutoffs applied.

• • The tool is a validated screen, not a clinical diagnosis. A high risk total should be followed by polysomnography or a home sleep apnea test interpreted by a sleep specialist.
• • The 0 to 2 low risk band is sensitive but not specific, especially in women. A low risk total does not rule out mild OSA.
• • The neck circumference item assumes a measurement just below the Adam's apple. A loose measurement can underestimate the neck item and lower the total.

The band labels are read against the AASM-cited thresholds.

According to American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a positive STOP-BANG screen is followed by a diagnostic sleep study such as polysomnography or a home sleep apnea test interpreted by a sleep specialist.

The recall of the O and T items depends on a bed partner, and the REM Sleep Calculator can be used to time short overnight check-ins, because observed pauses cluster most heavily during REM sleep.