Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): ABFM practice questions

4 board-style questions on obstructive sleep apnea (osa) in the PulseMD family medicine question bank — physician-reviewed, written against current guidelines with the reference cited on each question. Two free samples below; the full set with answers, explanations, and spaced review is free to start.

Sample question 1

A 52-year-old obese man (BMI 38) presents with excessive daytime sleepiness, loud snoring reported by his wife, and witnessed apneic episodes during sleep. He scores 15 on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (normal <10). He has hypertension controlled with amlodipine. What is the most appropriate next diagnostic step?

  1. Overnight pulse oximetry at home
  2. Trial of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) without diagnostic testing
  3. In-laboratory polysomnography or home sleep apnea test
  4. Lateral cephalometric X-ray to assess airway anatomy

Sample question 2

A 48-year-old obese man (BMI 34 kg/m2) presents with excessive daytime sleepiness, loud snoring reported by his wife, and witnessed apneic episodes during sleep. His Epworth Sleepiness Scale score is 14 (normal <10). He has hypertension treated with lisinopril. Physical examination reveals a crowded oropharynx (Mallampati class IV) and a neck circumference of 44 cm. What is the most appropriate next step to confirm the suspected diagnosis?

  1. Lateral cephalometric X-ray to assess airway anatomy
  2. Empiric trial of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy
  3. In-laboratory polysomnography or home sleep apnea testing
  4. Overnight pulse oximetry at home

Create a free PulseMD account to answer these, see the explanations, and practice five minutes a day.

PulseMD is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or approved by the American Board of Family Medicine.