Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome in patients with severe chronic respiratory insufficiency

Although sleep disordered breathing is common in patients with a severe chronic respiratory insufficiency (SCRI), there is few information on its prevalence. Our aim was to describe the prevalence and characteristics of the obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in these patients.

Prospective and observational study carried out on patients with a SCRI included in a waiting list for a lung transplantation and who had undergone a standard polysomnography.

A total of 105 patients were examined, of which 85 met the study's inclusion criteria. The prevalence of the OSAHS was 24.7%, with 19% of cases being severe. The most common underlying respiratory condition was COPD (62%). The OSAHS was linked to the male gender (P=.002), weight (P=.013), BMI (P=.034) and neck circumference (P=.01). Although most patients experienced symptoms suggestive of an OSAHS, the average score obtained in the Epworth Sleepiness Scale was low.

We observed a high prevalence of OSAHS in patients with a SCRI but without clinical data suggestive of its diagnosis; hence, we believe that sleep studies should be carried out in these patients given the low pre-test clinical suspicion of the disease.