title: Elevated body position early after delivery increased airway size during wakefulness, and decreased apnea hypopnea index in a woman with pregnancy related sleep apnea.
abstract: We report a patient with pregnancy related obstructive sleep apnea ([OSA]; apnea hypopnea index [AHI] 18/h) early after delivery, with improvement of AHI by 87% following 45-degree elevation in body position compared with the non-elevated position. Improvement associated with this position may be explained, at least in part, by an increased upper airway diameter (as measured during wakefulness). Sleep apnea in this patient resolved at 9 months postpartum. This observation suggests that 45-degree elevated body position may be an effective treatment of pregnancy related OSA during the postpartum period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA ; Department of Pediatric Surgery and Pediatric Urology, DRK- Kinderklinik Siegen, Teaching Hospital of Philipps University, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA ; Sleep Medicine, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zaremba
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heisig
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA ; Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eikermann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000379:methods; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011187:Posture; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014851:Wakefulness
keywords: polysomnography; positional therapy; post-partum; pregnancy; sleep apnea