. 2019 Aug 1;200(3):e6–e24. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201905-1071ST

Table 2.

Questions Initially Drafted but Not Highly Prioritized by the Panel, and Not Addressed in This Document

1. Should screening for OHS vs. no such screening be used in obese patients with suspected or confirmed OSA before an elective noncardiac surgery?

2. Should in-laboratory polysomnography vs. out-of-center sleep testing be used for initial evaluation of patients who are either at risk of OHS or have established OHS?

3. Should PAP treatment in adults with OHS be guided by combined monitoring of Sp_O₂ and noninvasive monitoring of CO₂ rather than monitoring of Sp_O₂ alone?

4. Should treatment of OHS be tailored based on severity (e.g., level of Pa_CO₂, serum bicarbonate, degree of nocturnal hypoventilation, hypoxemia, or comorbidities)?

5. Should switch to NIV vs. continued CPAP be used in patients with OHS who remain hypercapnic despite adequate adherence to CPAP therapy for 6 to 8 weeks?

6. Should the long-term efficacy of prescribed PAP settings be monitored by polysomnography vs. simplified home monitoring (pulse oximetry and/or capnography)?

7. Should nocturnal supplemental oxygen be added to PAP therapy vs. PAP therapy alone in patients with OHS experiencing persistent hypoxemia despite PAP optimization?

8. Should ventilation by tracheostomy vs. continued CPAP/NIV be used in patients with OHS who are not adherent to CPAP/NIV and have prior history of acute-on-chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure?

9. Should a respiratory stimulant (e.g., acetazolamide) vs. no respiratory stimulant be used in patients with OHS who have persistent hypercapnia despite adequate NIV therapy?

10. Should PAP vs. no PAP be used in the management of pulmonary hypertension in patients with OHS?

11. Should pulmonary hypertension–specific vasodilator combined with PAP vs. PAP alone be used in patients with OHS and pulmonary hypertension and/or right ventricular dysfunction?

12. Should screening for comorbidities associated with OHS (i.e., metabolic syndrome, pulmonary hypertension, coronary artery disease) vs. no such screening be used in patients with OHS at the time of diagnosis?

13. Should PAP therapy (CPAP or NIV) vs. no PAP therapy be used in the management of pulmonary hypertension in patients with OHS?

14. Should a bariatric procedure vs. no bariatric procedure be used as first-line therapy for OHS?

For definition of abbreviations, see Table 1.