CENTRAL SLEEP APNEA

Course overview

CENTRAL SLEEP APNEA IS A BREATHING DISORDER IN WHICH A PERSON EXPERIENCES APNEA EPISODES ARE ALTERNATING WITH NORMAL BREATHING. PATIENTS MAY OBSERVE ABRUPT AWAKENINGS ACCOMPANIED BY SHORTNESS OF BREATH, INSOMNIA, AND EXCESSIVE DAYTIME SLEEPINESS, ALONG WITH DIFFICULTY CONCENTRATING AND MOOD CHANGES. CENTRAL SLEEP APNEA IS DIFFERENT FROM OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA, IN WHICH THERE IS ABNORMAL BREATHING DUE TO UPPER AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION. CENTRAL SLEEP APNEA CAN RESULT FROM HEART FAILURE, STROKE, HIGH ALTITUDE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC MODALITIES AVAILABLE FOR MANAGING CENTRAL SLEEP APNEA AND HIGHLIGHTS THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM'S ROLE IN MANAGING THE CONDITION BETTER.