Sleep Apnea Syndrome: review of 25 years of experience
Abstract
Knowledge on sleep-disordered breathing has developed at an accelerated pace in the last decades. The objective of this study is to present the experience gained in our country in the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome during the development of a new discipline in the field of pneumology.
Clinical records of 3109 patients were reviewed; 447 with electronic medical records and questionnaires for quantification of symptoms and 1779 polysomnographies of patients with obstructive apneas.
The time evolution of the patient referral, the demographic characteristics (especially the increase in the prevalence in young people) and the most frequent clinical findings are presented. We highlight the relevant risk factors: obesity and its relationship with severity, endocrine diseases and cephalic fluid displacement. Access mode and adherence to treatment are highlighted.
The creation of sleep clinics allowed the referral of patients for diagnosis and treatment, giving rise to a new discipline of pneumology. The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea is high, with progressive and sustained increase. Treatment with non-invasive nasal pressure application is feasible. Although with different degrees of accessibility and adherence, it has allowed the correction of the most relevant respiratory sleep disorder
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