Sleep Apnea

Abstract

Two types of sleep apnea have been identified: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA). OSA occurs when the upper airway collapses; in OSA, there is no airflow, often despite great respiratory effort. In CSA, the transitory cessations of breathing are because of a drop in respiratory capacity-there is no airflow and no respiratory effort. Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a consequence of both OSA and CSA. A comprehensive history, ideally obtained from both the patient and bed partner, is the essential first step in diagnosing sleep apnea, but the gold standard for assessing sleep apnea is the polysomnogram (PSG). © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013.