Anesthesiology clinics of North America
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Anesthesiol Clin North America · Sep 2005
ReviewPostoperative considerations for patients with obesity and sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea and obesity are prevalent and often coexisting conditions that challenge medical, anesthetic, and surgical treatment. It is essential to possess knowledge of the magnitude of the sleep disorder as well as concomitant medical comorbidities. Management of obese patients requires a thorough preoperative evaluation and appraisal of anesthetic and operative risks. Postoperatively, these patients can present an additional challenge.
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Anesthesiol Clin North America · Sep 2005
ReviewDemographics and diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea.
This article reviews the terminology of obstructive sleep apnea and the associated diagnostic tests and provides an overview of the risk factors for this chronic condition. Sleep apnea affects 2% to 4% of middle-aged working adults in the general population, however, a considerable number of affected individuals remain undiagnosed. Patients with the disease may be at a higher risk for adverse perioperative outcomes. Knowledge of factors associated with an increased risk of obstructive sleep apnea is vital to the perioperative assessment and anesthetic plan.