Which statement is an EXCEPT for criteria used to score an apneic event in adults?

Which statement is an EXCEPT for criteria used to score an apneic event in adults?

• A. The duration of the event lasts at least 10 seconds
• B. The event lasts no longer than 30 seconds. There is no maximum time limit for how long an obstructive apneic event can be. There are guidelines for resuming normal breath or renaturations of 2% or more defining the end of an event, but there is no hard cap on how long those events can be to qualify for scoring criteria
• C. There is a 90% or more drop from baseline in the thermal sensor channel
• D. At least 90% of the event must meet the 90% drop from baseline criteria

Answer: (B)

The thing being tested is how adult apneic events are defined for scoring, focusing on how long the event lasts and how much the signal must drop from baseline. An apnea is counted when the airflow signal falls by 90% or more from baseline for at least 10 seconds. There is no hard maximum duration for an apnea in the scoring rules—the event can continue longer if breathing hasn’t resumed, and it ends when breathing returns toward baseline (often marked by the signal returning to within a small reversion, around 2% back toward baseline). So the statement that there is a maximum time limit, such as 30 seconds, is not part of the scoring criteria—that's why it’s the EXCEPT. The other parts reflect how apnea is actually identified: a minimum duration of 10 seconds and a substantial drop (90% or more) in the signal.

The thing being tested is how adult apneic events are defined for scoring, focusing on how long the event lasts and how much the signal must drop from baseline. An apnea is counted when the airflow signal falls by 90% or more from baseline for at least 10 seconds. There is no hard maximum duration for an apnea in the scoring rules—the event can continue longer if breathing hasn’t resumed, and it ends when breathing returns toward baseline (often marked by the signal returning to within a small reversion, around 2% back toward baseline).

So the statement that there is a maximum time limit, such as 30 seconds, is not part of the scoring criteria—that's why it’s the EXCEPT. The other parts reflect how apnea is actually identified: a minimum duration of 10 seconds and a substantial drop (90% or more) in the signal.