Multicenter-studie “Kapnographie in der Schlafmedizin”

Capnography screening for sleep apnea in patients with acute stroke

Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is a prominent clinical feature in acute stroke patients. Diagnosis is usually established by polysomnography or cardio-respiratory polygraphy (CRP). Both diagnostic procedures produce high costs, are dependent on the access to a specialized sleep laboratory, and are poorly tolerated by patients with acute stroke. In this study we therefore investigated whether capnography may work as a simple screening tool in this context. In addition to conventional CRP, 27 patients with acute stroke were studied with capnography provided by our standard monitoring system. The trend graphs of the end-tidal CO(2) values (EtCO(2)) were used to determine the capnography-based estimate of the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI(CO2)). Index events were scored when the EtCO(2) value dropped for > 50% of the previous baseline value. We found that the AHI(CO2) correlated significantly with the apnea-hypopnea index measured with conventional CRP (AHI(CRP)) (r = 0.94; p < 0.001). An AHI(CO2) > 5 turned out to be highly predictive of an AHI(CRP) > 10. According to our findings, routinely acquired capnography may provide a reliable estimate of the AHI(CRP). The equipment needed for this screening procedure is provided by the monitoring systems of most intensive care units and stroke units where stroke patients are regularly treated during the first days of their illness. Therefore, early diagnosis of SAS in these patients is made substantially easier.

End-tidal carbon dioxide concentration monitoring in obstructive sleep apnea patients

PURPOSE

The objective of this study was to investigate the end-tidal carbon dioxide concentration (ETco(2)) monitoring in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients during sleep and to explore whether the ETco(2) value may explain a significant portion of the relationship between ETco(2) value and apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) and nocturnal oxygenation indices.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-eight consecutive patients underwent overnight polysomnography and were synchronously monitored for ETco(2) using an microstream capnometer. Mean and maximum values during wake time and different sleep stages were recorded. We grouped 38 OSA patients into 2 subgroups on the basis of their difference of mean total sleep time and wake time ETco(2) [(T - W) ETco(2)]; one group, 20 patients with (T - W) ETco(2) less than 0, and the other group,18 patients with (T - W) ETco(2) greater than 0.

RESULTS

Group with (T - W) ETco(2) less than 0 patients exhibited higher AHI (mean ± SD, 68.58 ± 22.78 vs. 27.61 ± 19.44 events/h) and lower nocturnal oxygenation indices (minimum Sao(2), 67.85 ± 10.08 vs. 82.61% ± 6.07%; mean Sao(2), 91.29 ± 3.31 vs. 95.15% ± 1.88%) compared with the other group.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, the study provides preliminary data showing that ETco(2) potentially can be used in continuous monitoring of OSA patients. And, (T - W) ETco(2) can indicate the severity of OSA.