title: The management of surgical patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
abstract: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a leading public health problem in both developed and developing nations. However, awareness regarding diagnostic options, management, and consequences of untreated OSA remains inadequate in the perioperative period. Adverse surgical outcomes appear to be more frequent in OSA patients. Immediate postoperative complications may be partially attributed to the negative effects of sedative, analgesic, and anesthetic agents that can worsen OSA by decreasing pharyngeal tone and the arousal responses to hypoxia, hypercarbia, and obstruction. Rebound rapid eye movement sleep after anesthesia and the use of opioids may contribute to adverse events in the postoperative period. Even though data to guide clinicians in the perioperative period is scarce, heightened awareness is recommended.
authors.affiliation: VA Western New York Healthcare System, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY, USA. jahan.porhomayon@va.gov
authors.forename: Jahan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Porhomayon
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Solh
authors.forename: Sanjeev
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chhangani
authors.forename: Nader D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Nader
mesh_terms: D000777:Anesthetics / Q000009:adverse effects; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013517:Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D000777:Anesthetics