Treatment of sleep apnoea in spinal cord injured patients

Little is known about sleep disorders in spinal cord injured (SCI) patients. Three SCI patients who reported severe daytime sleepiness and sleep complaints were evaluated with nocturnal polysomnography and oxygen saturation with pulsoximeter on several occasions at home. In addition respiratory registration was preformed during overnight stay in the hospital. Two patients who had sleep apnoea episodes with reduced oxygen saturation during sleep were treated with continuous positive airway pressure with good results on sleep architecture, oxygen saturation, and daytime sleepiness. One obese patient was advised to lose weight and to reduce smoking and alcohol consumption, and following this advice his sleep related problems were reduced with no further treatment necessary. It is suggested that SCI patients who complain about sleep related disorders should be appropriately screened, with inclusion of nocturnal polysomnography, oxygen saturation, and respiratory registration and, depending on the screening results, appropriate advice/treatment applied.