COPD AND SLEEP APNEA OVERLAP

Course overview

WHEN CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) AND OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA (OSA) ARE BOTH PRESENT IN THE SAME PATIENT, THE CONDITION IS CALLED AN "OVERLAP SYNDROME" (OS). OVERLAP SYNDROME, AS THE NAME IMPLIES, REFERS TO PATIENTS PRESENTING SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) AND OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA (OSA) AND IS ASSOCIATED WITH A POOR PROGNOSIS AND A HIGHER BURDEN OF DISEASE THAN EITHER CONDITION ALONE. THE CONSEQUENCES OF OS ARE INCREASED MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WHEN NOT ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED. THIS ACTIVITY AIMS TO REVIEW THE CURRENT LITERATURE TO PROVIDE A CONCISE UNDERSTANDING OF OS DEVELOPMENT, DIAGNOSIS, AND MANAGEMENT. THIS ARTICLE ALSO EXPLORES THE INTERPROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP REQUIRED WHEN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH OS.