How we do it: Sleep Disordered Breathing in Hospitalized patients - A game Changer?

Abstract: Sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, have become a significant health issue in the United States. It is estimated that 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, with 80 percent of the cases of moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea going undiagnosed. This number continues to increase with the obesity epidemic. Sleep disordered breathing is associated with multiple cardiopulmonary diseases and has been shown to adversely affect disease outcomes. Hospitalized patients have a disproportionately high prevalence of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Screening for sleep disordered breathing in hospitalized patients provides an opportunity to identify the disease in individuals who may otherwise go unrecognized. As will be reviewed, data suggests that identification of sleep disordered breathing in hospitalized individuals may have a positive impact on the post hospital course. Unfortunately, sleep medicine currently remains an ambulatory practice. Hospital sleep medicine addresses this separation. We hereby discuss our experience and future potential of a hospital sleep medicine program.