Snoring & OSA Flashcards

1
Q

Snoring

A
  • Sound caused by vibration of walls of air passages and throat when they partially collapse during sleep
  • When awake, airway muscles keep air passages open
  • During sleep, they relax, causing collapse of air passages during sleep
  • Turbulent airflow through upper airway
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2
Q

OSA

A
  • Apnoea: Stoppage of breathing
  • Hypopnoea: ↓ in breathing
  • Repeated upper airway closure during sleep
  • Choking caused by body’s own tissues causes O2 levels to ↓ –> Sensed by brain which wakes itself temporarily to open airway to breathe before falling back to sleep again –> Obstruction occurs again and cycle repeats –> Disrupts sleep –> Poor sleep quality
  • Patient usually unaware of how many times choking and awakenings occur during sleep
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3
Q

Causes/RFs of snoring & OSA

A
  1. Inherited: Oriental facial skeleton more predisposed (Craniofacial abnormalities main cause):
    - Smaller mandible –> Relatively big tongue –> More likely to cause obstruction
    - Shorter anterior cranial base –> Flatter face –> Retrusive maxilla
  2. Acquired
    - Nasal obstruction ↑ airway resistance (nasal airway, pharyngeal airway)
    - Enlarged tonsils and adenoids
    - Metabolic syndrome can cause OSA and vice versa, same risk factors
    - ↑ age as laxity of tissues in air passages causes ↑ collapsibility
  3. Central causes
  4. Children:
    - Often seen in Down’s syndrome
    - Enlarged tonsils and adenoids
    - Uncontrolled nasal allergy
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4
Q

What can worsen OSA?

A

Being overly tired doesn’t cause but worsens snoring or OSA

When body catches up with lost sleep, there’s greater % of deep sleep and REM sleep during sleep period, where snoring and OSA are worse

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5
Q

Symptoms of OSA

A
  1. Asymptomatic
  2. Daytime symptoms
  3. Nighttime symptoms
  4. Symptoms in children
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6
Q

Daytime symptoms of OSA

A
  • Unrefreshing sleep
  • Excessive daytime sleepiness/ Daytime somnolence
  • Fatigue
  • Waking up with dry mouth or throat (Mouth breathing)
  • Morning headache (Hypopnea causes ↑ cerebral CO2 causes intracerebral vessels to vasodilate, ↑ICP)
  • Depression/ Anxiety
  • Poor memory and concentration
  • Motor vehicle accidents
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7
Q

Nighttime symptoms of OSA

A
  • Loud snoring that disturbs sleeping partners
  • Choking during sleep (Most reliable symptom)
  • Frequent awakenings
  • Frequent nocturia (Anti-natriuretic peptide is a diuretic released due to ↑ pressure on thoracic cavity when the patient gasps for air at night –> atrium is being stretched and thinks that it’s overstretched due to ‘fluid overload’ –> nocturia)
  • Poor ability to stay asleep throughout night (Sleep maintenance insomnia)
    ***DON’T GIVE BENZODIAZEPINES (it relaxes muscles and worsens OSA)
  • Poor libido
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8
Q

Symptoms of OSA in children

A
  • Restless sleep/sleep with hyperextended neck
  • Sweating during sleep (Using a lot of energy to breathe)
  • Secondary enuresis
  • AR
  • Mouth breathing (Nasal and adenoid obstruction)
  • ADHD (OSA –> 2° ADHD!!!)
  • Poor attention span and school performance
  • Poor physical and mental growth and development
  • Failure to thrive (Disruption of sleep interrupts GH secretion during deep sleep)

*May not snore if very young cause not enough pressure to generate vibrations

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9
Q

Complications of untreated OSA

A
  • ↑ risk of developing HTN, DM (cortisol released), heart disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and stroke
  • Cor pulmonale
  • Poor sleep quality causes excessive daytime sleepiness –> Accidents at workplace if one is operating heavy machinery or on road if one is driving
  • Social problems, embarrassing, disturbing to sleeping partners, strain relationships and ↑ risk of divorce in married couples
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10
Q

What is required to diagnose OSA?

A

Polysomnography

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11
Q

What results of polysomnography indicate OSA?

A

Apnea hypoapnea index or Respiratory disturbance index >/= 5 AND symptoms
- Mild: 5-14/h
- Moderate: 15-29/h
- Severe: ≥30/h

AHI or RDI >/= 15 if NO symptoms

Children: AHI >/= 1

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12
Q

If sleep study is -ve for OSA in a snorer, diagnosis is?

A

Primary snoring, i.e. snoring in absence of airway obstruction

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13
Q

Management for OSA

A
  • Primary snoring can be left untreated as long as it doesn’t cause social problems

Goal is to manage the OSA and underlying cause:

For OSA, I will split into:
1st line therapy vs adjuncts vs surgical

GOLD, 1st line therapy: Continuous positive airway pressure
+ve air pressure stents airway open preventing collapse, snoring and stoppage of breathing
Mild S/E:
- Dry mouth or throat
- Blocked nose or ears
- Minor skin ulcers
- Non-compliance

  1. Positional therapy
  2. Dental splints (mandibular advancement device)
    - Devices worn during sleep to maintain lower jaw and teeth in protruded position (Pull mandible and base of tongue forward) –> Enlarge air space behind tongue and put air passage tissues in greater tension –> ↓ tendency for airway walls to collapse
    S/E:
    - Excessive salivation during sleep
    - Jaw opening problems
    - Malocclusion
  3. Patient education
    - lifestyle measures (smoking, alcohol, weight)
    - nasal breathing
  4. Surgery
    - Uvulopalatopharyngeal surgery
    - Maxillomandibular surgery
    - Hypoglossal nerve stimulation (new advancement especially if tongue is the main cause of osa)
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14
Q

What criteria is used to predict probability of OSA?

A

STOP-BANG
Snoring
Tiredness
Observed apneas
High BP
BMI > 35
Age > 50
Neck circumference > 40
Gender: Male

3 or more = moderate to severe risk of OSA

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15
Q

What scale is used to predict severity of excessive daytime sleepiness?

A

Epworth sleepiness scale
11-24 = excessive (abnormal) daytime sleepiness

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16
Q

Examination findings in OSA

A
  • General appearance
  • BMI (high)
  • Posture
  • Upper airway
  • Skeletal
    – Maxilla, mandible
    – Hyoid
  • Soft tissue
    – Nose
    – Oral cavity/oropharynx
    – Larynx
17
Q

First line treatment for paeds OSA

A

Adenotonsillectomy surgery

18
Q

Components of polysomnography

A
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG): Monitors heart activity
  • Electroencephalogram (EEG): Monitors brain activity
  • Electro-oculogram (EOG): Monitors eye movements
  • Electromyogram (EMG): Monitors muscle activity
  • Pulse oximetry: Monitors oxygen saturation (SpO2)
  • Airflow: Monitors nasal and oral airflow
  • Respiratory effort: Monitors rib cage and abdominal respiratory effort