OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA;

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are two different diseases that may coexist within an individual and is known as overlap syndrome. Treatment of choice for overlap patients is CPAP along with supplemental oxygen for correction of upper airway obstructive episodes and hypoxemia during sleep, which is different from the treatment of COPD or OSA alone so detection of these cases is important for proper management of these patients. Objectives: To find out the frequency of obstructive sleep apnea in patients with COPD. Study Design: Cross section study. Setting: Department of Pulmonology Multan Medical and Dental College; Tertiary care hospital. Period: Six months from July to Dec 2017. Materials & Methods: 151 consecutive patients with diagnosed COPD attending our Pulmonology Outpatient Department and fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in the study. All the patients were asked questions from Berlin Sleep Questionnaire and categorized into high or low likelihood for having OSA. Overnight polysomnography was done in those with high likelihood to confirm the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea. Results: There were 151 patients. Males were 125 (82.8%) whereas females were 26 (17.2%). Mean age of all patients was 54.49+10.33 years. Mean values for height and weight were 160.9+1.05cm and 62.33+1.39kg respectively. Mean BMI was 24.13+5. Mean for number of smoking pack years was 16.45+7.22. We found 16 patients (10.5%) to have OSA. Conclusion: Frequency of OSA in COPD patients is high and needs special attention while managing these patients. This can be achieved by routine use of screening questionnaires and by conducting polysomnography where indicated.