[Treatment-Emergent Central Sleep Apnea - Detection and Treatment]

Treatment-Emergent Central Sleep Apnea - Detection and Treatment Abstract. In treatment-emergent central sleep apnea (TECSA), affected patients with obstructive sleep apnea newly develop central sleep apnea (AHI central ≥5/h) under therapy with positive pressure ventilation which cannot be explained by other causes. The pathophysiology of TECSA is incompletely understood. PaCO2 and the associated apnea threshold seem to play a central role. The incidence of TECSA varies (1.8-20%), and in about 2/3 of cases it is self-limiting in the course of the therapy. If persistence or new onset occurs later in the course of positive pressure therapy, a further evaluation (e.g., echocardiography, neurologic examination, medication history) is indicated. Effective treatment options include a change in ventilation therapy (adaptive servoventilation or bilevel ventilation with back-up frequency) or additional nocturnal oxygen supplementation; these options should be decided case by case.