Central sleep apnea interfering with adequate left ventricular filling in a patient with left ventricular assist device.
Central sleep apnea is common in patients with advanced heart failure. Apneic episodes are associated with hypoxemia, hypercapnia, and neurohumoral activation resulting in a rise in pulmonary vascular resistance. This case report describes a patient with a left ventricular assist device implanted for severe heart failure in whom unrecognized central sleep apnea resulted in under-filling of the left ventricle and a reduction in left ventricular assist device inflow.
Section of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Boniface General Hospital, WRHA Cardiac Sciences Program, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada. allan.schaffer@utoronto.ca
S Allan
SA
Schaffer
Robert S
RS
Bercovitch
Heather J
HJ
Ross
Vivek
V
Rao
D000328:Adult; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020182:Sleep Apnea, Central / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*