Question:
What is the purpose of an MWT?
Answer:
A maintenance of wakefulness test (MWT) measures a patient’s ability to stay awake during a designated time. During the MWT, the activity of the brain, eyes, chin, and heart are monitored over four prescheduled 30-minute periods. This procedure measures a person’s ability to remain awake during sleep-inducing circumstances (i.e., sitting in a dark room). As with the MSLT, this procedure is usually conducted on the day following an overnight sleep study or PSG.
This question was answered in our Coding Essentials for RT/Pulmonary Function. For more hot topics relating to respiratory services, please visit our store or call us at 1.800.252.1578, ext. 2.