Obstructive Sleep Apnea in the ICU: Elevated Prevalence, Diagnostic Challenges, and Treatment Limitations

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent yet frequently underdiagnosed condition that is associated with significant cardiopulmonary, metabolic, and neurocognitive outcomes. Risk factors for OSA overlap with illnesses commonly observed in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, resulting in a disproportionately elevated burden in healthcare. This study evaluates the prevalence, diagnostic challenges, and management limitations of OSA in the ICU to identify strategies to improve awareness and outcomes in critically ill populations. An analysis of published literature was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus. Key search terms included “obstructive sleep apnea,” “ICU,” and “critical illness.” Results showed that OSA is present in up to 60–70% of ICU patients, yet only ~5% are formally diagnosed during hospitalization. Underdiagnosis is linked to prolonged mechanical ventilation, extubation failure as high as 30%, 2-fold higher perioperative complication rates, cardiovascular instability, 1.8-fold greater 30-day ICU readmission, and 2.2-fold mortality. Standard screening tools have limited applicability in ICU patients. Emerging alternatives, such as overnight oximetry, polygraphy, and machine learning models lack validation. Our analyses reveal that current diagnostic and treatment strategies are poorly adapted to critically ill patients. Integration of OSA as a part of ICU management, diagnosis, and intervention may reduce readmissions and mortality.