[Therapy for sleep-related breathing disorders using positive airway pressure. Data from an HNO sleep laboratory].
BACKGROUND
Computer-assisted cardiopulmonary polysomnography is generally required to differentiate common snoring from serious sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD) such as sleep apnea.


METHODS
This study investigates data from 2,683 diagnostic and therapeutic cardiopulmonary polysomnographies of 1,087 patients over the period 2003-2004. Indications and efficacy of therapy using positive airway pressure (PAP) in SRBD are analyzed as well as alternative procedures.


RESULTS
Of the 1,087 patients, 260 (23.9%) needed PAP therapy. In 61% of the patients CPAP-therapy was applied, 19% needed Bi-PAP-ST and 10% Bi-PAP-S-therapy. A total of 91 patients (8.4%) were treated with alternative procedures, partially combined with positive airway pressure. In 760 patients (69.9%) PAP-therapy was controlled or SRBD was excluded.


CONCLUSIONS
There are no generally accepted guidelines for the therapy of SRBD. Indications for conservative and/or surgical procedures in the treatment have to be determined individually, depending on polysomnographic findings, subjective discomfort and physical comorbidities of the patients.
Stasche
N
N
Schlafmedizinisches Zentrum der Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Klinik, Westpfalz-Klinikum Kaiserslautern. nstasche@westpfalz-klinikum.de
Lüer-Groel
B
B
Schmidt
H
H
Bärmann
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
C485939:Med 15 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors