June 13th, 2008
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A high frequency of sleep-related breathing disorders in hospitalized patients
News release 15 April 2008
Westchester, Ill. – There is a high frequency of sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD) in hospitalized patients referred for polysomnography (PSG), also known as an overnight sleep test, especially in patients with underlying cardiopulmonary disease, according to a study published in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (JCSM).
The study, authored by Kim Goring, MD, of JohnsHopkinsUniversity and BayviewMedicalCenter in Baltimore, Md., was a retrospective chart review of 100 PSGs and medical records of all patients who had PSG while hospitalized at two tertiary care centers between January 2003 and September 2004. The main outcome measures included the frequency of and the association between an SRBD and specific characteristics, including age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and admission disease condition.
According to the results, 77 percent of the sample had an SRBD. There was an increase in the odds ratio of SRBD with increasing BMI. Increasing BMI categories were associated with more severe SRBD. Adjusting for age and BMI, men had a reduced odds ratio of sleep apnea, as compared to women, and women with SRBD were more likely to have more severe disease than men. There was a significant association of SRBD with congestive heart failure.
“This study points out the importance of considering sleep apnea in hospitalized patients. It shows that it is common in that population and may impact upon the treatments and outcome during their stay,” said Nancy A. Collop, MD, of JohnsHopkinsUniversity, corresponding author of the study. “Further research on how sleep apnea impacts the acutely ill patient is needed.”
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an SRBD that causes your body to stop breathing during sleep. OSA occurs when the tissue in the back of the throat collapses and blocks the airway. This keeps air from getting into the lungs. It is estimated that four percent of men and two percent of women have OSA, and millions more remain undiagnosed.
More information about sleep apnea