title: [Care of patients with the sleep apnea syndrome in the Czech Republic].
abstract: In the Czech Republic, for ten million inhabitants there are eight sleep laboratories (two neurological, one otorhinolaryngological and five pneumological), equipped with twelve units monitoring four or eight parameters. The first OSAS laboratory was established in 1991. In 1994, health insurance began providing patients with CPAP and doctors began publicising sleep syndromes. Since 1994, 3,860 patients were examined. Patients were referred: by general practitioners (34%), by otorhinolaryngologists (16%), by pneumologists (15%) or by neurologists (12%) and 24% came voluntarily. The ratio was eight men to one woman. Nearly all came because partners requested it. Of the 3,860 examined, 740 (around 19%) began using CPAP. The criteria for using CPAP are following: an oxygen saturation in the blood below 90% for more than 20% of the sleeping period. In very serious cases BiPAP was used (27 patients--0.7%). 185 patients (4.8%) underwent surgery on soft palate.
authors.affiliation: Pneumologická klinika, 1. lékarské fakulty Univerzity Karlovy, Veleslavínská 1, 162 02 Praha 6, Czech Republic. m.trefny@volny.cz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trefný
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sonka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morán
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vyskocilová
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jurikovic
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kucera
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Koblízek
mesh_terms: D018153:Czech Republic; D006801:Humans; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*