If a patient is supine with intermittent snoring and an SpO2 of 79%, what should the sleep tech do after observing this for 10 minutes?

In this scenario, the patient's low oxygen saturation (SpO2 of 79%) coupled with intermittent snoring while in the supine position indicates significant respiratory compromise, likely consistent with obstructive sleep apnea or other forms of hypoventilation.

Waking the patient serves a critical purpose in ensuring the accuracy of the SpO2 readings. It allows the sleep technician to determine if the low saturation is a transient event or if it is a reliable indication of the patient's oxygenation status. Taking this step helps rule out any potential issues with the monitoring equipment or the patient's state (such as movement or interference with the sensor) that might inaccurately reflect their true oxygen levels.

While administering oxygen or initiating CPAP could help manage the low saturation, those interventions might not address whether the reading is valid. Additionally, completing the study without verifying the reliability of the reading could lead to inaccurate conclusions about the patient's condition. Thus, waking the patient to evaluate SpO2 before moving forward with treatment options ensures a more accurate assessment of the situation and informs better clinical decision-making for subsequent interventions.