Diagnosis of sleep apnea with A CPAP.Sleep apnea causes frequent periods of apnea during sleep for more than 10 seconds that results in desaturation desaturation /de·sat·u·ra·tion/ (de-sach?ah-ra´shun) the process of converting a saturated compound to one that is unsaturated, such as the introduction of a double bond between carbon atoms of a fatty acid. of oxygen, often several times an hour. The cycle is that the patient falls asleep, develops obstructive choking, and wakes up. Sleep apnea can cause hypertension, heart failure, arrhythmias, and daytime sleepiness. Diagnosis is usually accomplished by sleep studies. In a recent study, Senn, et al. found that CPAP CPAP abbr. continuous positive airway pressure Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) A ventilation device that blows a gentle stream of air into the nose during sleep to keep the airway open. trials were very good at diagnosing sleep apnea. Patients were given the CPAP machine and if they continued to use it, and noted an improvement in their symptoms, they were diagnosed with sleep apnea. This approach is much simpler and cost-effective than the traditional sleep lab approach. Patients with sleep apnea will often develop bradycardia bradycardia: see arrhythmia. during their hypoxic events. Simantirakis and colleagues looked at using atrial overdrive pacing to relieve symptoms of sleep apnea by maintaining heart rate. Their results were more disappointing. Atrial pacing did not have a significant effect on episodes of sleep apnea, and the authors continue to recommend CPAP as the treatment of choice. Sleep apnea is uncomfortable and can lead to severe cardiovascular complications. The best non-surgical treatment remains CPAP. From: Senn O et al. (2006). A continuous positive airway pressure continuous positive airway pressure n. Abbr. CPAP A technique of respiratory therapy for individuals breathing with or without mechanical assistance in which airway pressure is maintained above atmospheric pressure throughout the trial as a novel approach to the diagnosis of the obstructive sleep apnea Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) A potentially life-threatening condition characterized by episodes of breathing cessation during sleep alternating with snoring or disordered breathing. syndrome. Chest, 129:67-75. Simantirakis EN et al. (2005). Atrial overdrive pacing for the obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome. N Engl J Med, 353:2568-77. Reprinted by permission David W. Woodruff, MSN, RN, CNS See Continuous net settlement. CNS See continuous net settlement (CNS). , CEN |
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