Which derivative from overnight oximetry best predicts symptomatic response to nasal continuous positive airway pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea?

The cost and inconvenience of polysomnography for the investigation of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) has led to the search for simpler and cheaper alternatives. These are usually compared to an apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI) derived from oro-nasal airflow and ribcage/abdominal effort sensors. However, AHI is not a proven gold standard for the identification of clinically important OSA. Recent work has shown that correctly analysed oximetry indices not only mimic AHI with considerable accuracy, but also predict the symptomatic response to nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) at least as well as conventional polysomnographic indices. This current study looks at 10 different derivatives of all-night oximeter tracings in 81 patients with OSA, and compares their ability to predict the improvement in subjective sleepiness after 6 months of nCPAP therapy. Sleep apnoea in this study was defined as a > 4% SaO2 dip rate of > 10 h(-1), and an Epworth sleepiness score (ESS) of > 10 on presentation. Subjects took part in a placebo-controlled trial of nCPAP for 1 month and thereafter were all supplied with nCPAP set at an effective pressure. All night SaO2 was sampled every 2 sec and later analysed for mean, median, mean nadir of SaO2 dip, time below 90%, 2 and 12 sec delta index (an average measure of SaO2 change across these two time periods), rapid resaturation index (rises in SaO2 > 3% within 10 sec per hour), and > 4, > 3, and > 2% dips per hour. These indices were then correlated with the change in ESS seen after 6 months on nCPAP. Median compliance for the group was 5.8 (5/95% range, 1.5-8.0) h night(-1). The two best correlates of improvement in ESS were the > 4% SaO2 dips h(-1) (Spearman's r = -0.33 P=0.002) and the delta 12 sec index (r = -0.33, P = 0.003). Cumulative time below 90% SaO2 was almost as good (r = -0.29, P = 0.009). The worst correlate was the > 2% SaO2 dips h(-1) (r = 0.01, not significant). This study has identified which of several analyses of overnight oximeter recordings best identify nCPAP responsive OSA. Both > 4% SaO2 dips and 12 sec delta index are equally predictive and presumably the most appropriate derivatives to calculate from overnight records of SaO2.     

Health status in obstructive sleep apnea: relationship with sleep fragmentation and daytine sleepiness, and effects of continuous positive airway pressure treatment.

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have impaired health status that improves with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP). The study reported here explored the relationships between health status, its improvement with nCPAP, sleep fragmentation, and daytime sleepiness. In the study, 51 patients (46 male, five female) ranging from nonsnorers to individuals with severe OSA (median apnea/hypopnea index [AHI] 25, 90% central range: 1 to 98) had polysomnography with microarousal scoring, respiratory arousal scoring, and measurement of pulse transit time. The Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire was administered before and after 4 wk of nCPAP treatment; daytime sleepiness was also measured before starting nCPAP. Relationships between pretreatment health status and sleep fragmentation were weak, but significant associations were found between all sleep fragmentation indices and health status improvement with nCPAP (e.g., arousals according to the criteria of the American Sleep Disorders Association versus change in the physical component summary, r = 0.44, p < 0.001). Compared with general population data, the dimensions of energy and vitality and physical role limitation were abnormal before nCPAP (p < 0.05) and normalized with treatment. Sleepiness and pretreatment SF-36 values correlated significantly (Epworth Sleepiness Scale versus energy and vitality, r = -0.47, p < 0.001; modified Maintenance of Wakefulness Test versus energy and vitality, r = 0.32, p < 0.05). We conclude that the health status of patients with OSA improves with nCPAP and this improvement correlates with sleep fragmentation severity. However, the correlation is not very close, which may reflect the improvement with nCPAP of other symptoms not directly related to disease severity.     

Radiological implications of inhaled 239Pu and 241Am in dusts at the former nuclear test site in Maralinga.

The biokinetics of 239Pu and 241Am present in three dust samples obtained from Maralinga were investigated after their deposition in the rat lung. Results were used as an experimental basis for assessing the radiological implications for human exposure. The transfer rates of these actinides to blood in the various dusts differed by 50-fold. The most transportable forms were compatible with a material that had 25% class W and 75% class Y characteristics. The doses per unit intake for adults, children, and infants exposed to an aerosol of 5 microns AMAD were calculated to be, respectively, 0.059, 0.076, and 0.140 mSv Bq-1. The corresponding doses for the least transportable forms were the same as those calculated for a class Y compound, namely 0.036, 0.049, and 0.096 mSv Bq-1. The behavior of the actinides in humans was predicted by combining the transfer rates to blood with mechanical clearance data obtained after volunteers had inhaled 85Sr or 88Y labeled fused aluminosilicate particles. The results suggested that monitoring of 241Am in the chest could be used to advantage for assessing intakes incurred by workers involved with any further decontamination procedures but would be of little practical value for assessing inadvertent public exposure. The paper includes comments on the relevance of the 1990 ICRP recommendations and the proposed new dosimetric model for the respiratory tract.     

Relationships between MRI fat distributions and sleep apnea and obesity hypoventilation syndrome in very obese patients

Purpose

Obesity is associated with both obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity hypoventilation. Differences in adipose tissue distribution are thought to underlie the development of both OSA and hypoventilation. We explored the relationships between the distribution of upper airway, neck, chest, abdominal and muscle fat in very obese individuals.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional cohort study of individuals presenting to a tertiary sleep clinic or for assessment for bariatric surgery. Individuals underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of their upper airway, neck, chest, abdomen and thighs; respiratory polygraphy; 1 week of autotitrating CPAP; and morning arterial blood gas to determine carbon dioxide partial pressure and base excess.

Results

Fifty-three individuals were included, with mean age of 51.6?±?8.4 years and mean BMI of 44.3?±?7.9 kg/m²; there were 27 males (51%). Soft palate, tongue and lateral wall volumes were significantly associated with the AHI in univariable analyses (p?<?0.001). Gender was a significant confounder in these associations. No significant associations were found between MRI measures of adiposity and hypoventilation.

Conclusions

In very obese individuals, our results indicate that increased volumes of upper airway structures are associated with increased severity of OSA, as previously reported in less obese individuals. Increasingly large upper airway structures that reduce pharyngeal lumen size are likely to lead to OSA by increasing the collapsibility of the upper airway. However, we did not show any significant association between regional fat distribution and propensity for hypoventilation, in this population.

     

What is an arousal and how should it be quantified?

Pathologically severe daytime sleepiness is one of the main symptoms seen in a respiratory sleep clinic and is due to repeated arousal from sleep. Which types of arousal are most important in causing this is uncertain and most studies have only found loose relationships between indices of arousal frequency and the severity of the ensuing daytime sleepiness. Recent attempts to improve these disappointing correlations have concentrated on detecting more minor arousal events through the use of novel EEG signal analysis techniques and non-EEG based signals such as blood pressure and heart rate. To date there are no good data sets which allow the relative merits of these various techniques to be compared and it is unclear whether these efforts to increase the sensitivity of arousal detection will lead to improvements in the clinical usefulness of sleep fragmentation scoring. Studies which relate both the traditional indices of sleep fragmentation and the newer methodologies to clinically relevant reference standards (such as measured excessive daytime sleepiness) are needed to clarify these issues.     

The role of the nose in the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnoea and snoring.

Data from observational studies suggest that nasal obstruction contributes to the pathogenesis of snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). To define more accurately the relationship between snoring, OSA and nasal obstruction, the current authors have summarised the literature on epidemiological and physiological studies, and performed a systematic review of randomised controlled trials in which the effects of treating nasal obstruction on snoring and OSA were investigated. Searches of bibliographical databases revealed nine trials with randomised controlled design. External nasal dilators were used in five studies, topically applied steroids in one, nasal decongestants in two, and surgical treatment in one study. Data from studies using nasal dilators, intranasal steroids and decongestants to relieve nasal congestion showed beneficial effects on sleep architecture, but only minor improvement of OSA symptoms or severity. Snoring seemed to be reduced by nasal dilators. Nasal surgery also had minimal impact on OSA symptoms. In conclusion, chronic nasal obstruction seems to play a minor role in the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnoea, and seems to be of some relevance in the origin of snoring. The impact of treating nasal obstruction in patients with snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea on long-term outcome remains to be defined through randomised controlled trials of medical and surgical therapies.     

Nocturnal hypoxia and arrhythmias in patients with impaired left ventricular function

Objectives—To document the incidence of hypoxic episodes in a series of patients with impaired left ventricular function, and to correlate the occurrence of hypoxia with severity of arrhythmia.Patients—34 patients with breathlessness and clinical evidence of left ventricular dysfunction.Main outcome measures—Simultaneous overnight finger oximetry and electrocardiographic monitoring.Results—High grade arrhythmias (Lown grade >III) occurred in 20/34 (59%) of patients, and frequent dips in oxygen saturation were noticed (mean dip frequency 4·8/h, range 0·1–20·0). 20/34 (59%) of patients had episodic hypoxaemia, including 13/34 (38%) with a classical Cheyne Stokes pattern. There was a correlation between dip frequency and the presence of high grade arrhythmias (those with high grade arrhythmia had mean (SD) 6·7 (5·5) dips/h ν 2·2 (3·4) in those without, p < 0·01); there was also a correlation between the presence of arrhythmias and episodic hypoxaemia (episodic hypoxaemia in those with high grade arrhythmias occurred in 17/20 (85%) ν 3/14 (21%) of those without arrhythmias, p < 0·002). There was no correlation between the presence of high grade arrhythmias or dip frequency and the extent of left ventricular impairment, which was present in all patients (mean (SD) ejection fraction 26% (13%)).Conclusion—Noticeable abnormalities of nocturnal oxygen saturation occur in patients with impaired left ventricular function, and these are associated with high grade arrhythmias. Interventions that limit desaturation may have valuable anti-arrhythmic effects.