title: Nocturnal oxygen desaturation in patients with congestive heart failure.
abstract: The aim of our study was to evaluate the modifications of the respiratory pattern during sleeping in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) by a simple pulse-oxymetry. We studied 10 subjects (8M/2F), mean age 71.4 +/- 12.4 yrs, admitted to sub-intensive cardiological therapy unit, with diagnosis of CHF due to left ventricular insufficiency by ischemic, hypertensive or idiopathic cardiopathy, when in a stable clinical condition. All patients presented arterial blood gas values within normal limits. The ejection fraction of left ventricle showed a mean value of 30.4 +/- 8.2% (range 20%-45%). Nocturnal pulse-oxymetry was performed by pulse-oxymeter (PULSOX 7 Minolta) provided with a digital probe at a sliding speed 24 cm/h. Our data showed that all patients presented nocturnal desaturation episodes (mean oxygen desaturation index 15.7 +/- 18.4). In two patients, we found an "Overlap Syndrome" (obstructive sleep apnoea in presence of cardiopathy). In other patients pulse-oxymetry showed a typical sequence of "fall-rise" basal O2 saturation lasting from 36 to 72 seconds, collected in "wave trains" which were present from 14% to 70% of total sleep time compatible with periodic breathing. In conclusion, our study shows that patients affected by CHF, even if in stable condition and with a PaO2, within normal values, present more or less severe disturbances of nocturnal SaO2, with periodic and regular sequences of SaO2 fall-rise that may be referred to ventilatory troubles such as periodic breathing or Cheyne-Stokes breathing. In these patients the pulse-oxymetry may be considered an efficacious, simple, cheap and well tolerated method.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Methodology and Medical Surgery Technology, S. Michele in Laureto Hospital, Putignano, Bari. oresta@pneumol.uniba.it
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Resta
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Foschino-Barbaro
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Bonfitto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Talamo
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Nocerino
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stefà no
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biasco
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D010092:Oximetry / Q000379:methods; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D020447:Parasomnias / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen