[Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea with a new vest preventing the supine position].
OBJECTIVE
Prevention of the supine position has for decades been a well known treatment option in positional obstructive sleep apnea. It was the aim of this study to test the efficacy of a recently patented commercially available supine position preventing vest.


METHODS
The vest is made of linen tissue with a half cylindrical piece of hard foam in its dorsal part. 12 male patients slightly overweight (body mass index 26.5 +/- 2.6 kg/m(2)) and 55.8 +/- 11.6 years old were investigated polysomnographically prospectively.


RESULTS
The pretherapeutical respiratory-disturbance index (RDI) was 26.7+/-11.9/h increasing to 39.3+/-16.1/h in the supine position. When using the vest, patients no longer slept on their back and the RDI dropped to 7.6 +/- 5.1/h (p < 0.005). Total sleep time at an oxygen saturation below 90 % was reduced from 11.7 +/- 11.3 % to 1.5 +/- 2.1 %. 9 patients (75 %) were cured (RDI < 10/h and RDI reduction > 50 %), 2 patients (17 %) improved (RDI reduction > 50 %) and only the oldest patient (76 years old) remained unchanged. Even though snoring decreased from 180 +/- 125 minutes to 110 +/- 52 minutes, an increase was observed in 30 % of the patients. Sleep quality and structure did not change considerably.


CONCLUSIONS
The supine position prevention vest is a safe and simple treatment alternative of high efficacy in positional sleep apnea. As a complete remission cannot be predicted, polygraphic or polysomnographic controls are necessary.
Maurer
J T
JT
Schlafmedizinisches Zentrum, Universitätsklinik für Hals-, Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde, Mannheim. joachim.maurer@hno.ma.uni-heidelberg.de
Stuck
B A
BA
Hein
G
G
Verse
T
T
Hörmann
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003020:Clothing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D017286:Polysomnography; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016683:Supine Position / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D010100:Oxygen