Nature and science of sleep
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Sleep and circadian rhythm are reported to be severely abnormal in critically ill patients. Disturbed sleep can lead to the development of delirium and, as a result, can be associated with prolonged stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) and increased mortality. The standard criterion method of sleep assessment, polysomnography (PSG), is complicated in critically ill patients due to the practical challenges and interpretation difficulties. ⋯ Various interventions have been tested in several studies aiming to improve sleep quality and circadian rhythm in the ICU. The results of these studies were inconclusive due to using the sleep assessment methods other than PSG or the absence of a reliable sleep scoring tool for the analysis of the PSG findings in this patient population. Development of a valid sleep scoring classification is essential for further sleep research in critically ill patients.
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Treatment-emergent central sleep apnea (TECSA), also called complex apnea, occurs in 5%-15% of sleep apnea patients during positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, but the clinical predictors are not well understood. The goal of this study was to explore possible predictors in a clinical sleep laboratory cohort, which may highlight those at risk during clinical management. ⋯ Clinical predictors of treatment-evoked central apnea spanned demographic, medical history, sleep physiology, and titration factors. Improved predictive models may be increasingly important as diagnostic and therapeutic modalities move away from the laboratory setting, even as PSG remains the gold standard for characterizing primary central apnea and TECSA.
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To evaluate sex differences in predictors of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as per outcomes from home sleep apnea testing. ⋯ This study found that males and females report different symptoms upon clinical evaluation for suspected sleep apnea, with some of the "classic" OSA features to be more common in and robustly predictive for males. The finding that advancing age uniquely and robustly predicted OSA in females reinforces our understanding that age-related changes in sex hormones play a role in the development and/or manifestation of sleep disordered breathing. Need exists for sex-specific prediction models and quantification of menopausal status in OSA screening tools.
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Prompt diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) after acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is critical for optimal clinical outcomes, but in-laboratory conventional polysomnograms (PSG) are not routinely practical. Though portable out-of-center type III cardiopulmonary sleep studies (out-of-center cardiopulmonary sleep testing [OCST]) are widely available, these studies have not been validated in patients who have recently suffered from AIS. We hypothesized that OCST in patients with AIS would yield similar results when compared to conventional PSG. ⋯ Compared with PSG, OCST provides similar diagnostic information when run simultaneously in AIS patients. OCST is a reliable screening tool for early diagnosis of OSA in AIS patients.
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This feasibility study examined the initial-use safety and effectiveness of a new noninvasive oral pressure therapy (OPT) system developed to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). ⋯ This single-center, single-night feasibility study demonstrates that OPT can improve OSA in certain subjects identifiable by PSG during systematic usage. In appropriately responsive patients, OPT shows potential as a clinically useful new alternative for treatment of OSA without the need for custom manufacture of an oral device component.