Effect of continuous positive airway pressure on an atrial arrhythmia in a patient with mild obstructive sleep apnea

Abstract

Cardiac arrhythmias have been reported in up to half of individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and have been proposed to be one of the factors contributing to their increased mortality. Several studies have demonstrated evidence of an association between OSA and a number of cardiac arrhythmias. The mechanisms of arrhythmogenesis in OSA may be due to enhanced vagal output triggered by a combination of apnea and hypoxemia. This case demonstrates a dose-dependent reduction in atrial ectopy with increasing continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in the setting of mild sleep apnea.