Case sharing and Discussion
Obesity-hypoventilation syndrome
with severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
Shi-Min Shen MD, Shi-Wei Lin MD
Department of Thoracic Medicine
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Case:
A 76-year-old obese woman presented emergent department in the midnight due to mixed type respiratory failure. She underwent intubation and mechanical ventilation support for three days without evidence of infection. After extubation and transfer to ordinary ward, portable polysomnography was arranged, which diagnosed severe obstructive sleep apnea.
Discussion:
- Obesity hypoventilation syndrome [1]
- Definition: A combination of obesity and chronic hypoventilation leading to pulmonary hypertension, cardiac events, and cor-pulmonale.
- Pathophysiology: Complex interactions among
impaired respiratory mechanics, abnormal central ventilatory control, possible
sleep-disordered breathing, and neurohormonal aberrancies
- Clinical Symptoms: Unexplained hypoxemia, fatigue, mood disorders and nocturnal headaches may presented.
- Treatment: CPAP, Weigh-loss, Progesterone
- Obesity with obstructive sleep apnea [2]
- Evaluation of common clinical predictors as snoring, nocturnal breath cessation, and sleep attacks detect obese patients who have obstructive sleep apnea.
- Significant degree of sleep disturbance presented in obese patients comparing with non-obese patients.
Reference:
1. Olson, A.L. and C. Zwillich, The obesity hypoventilation syndrome. The American journal of medicine, 2005. 118(9): p. 948-956.
2. Vgontzas, A.N., et al., Sleep apnea and sleep disruption in obese patients. Archives of Internal Medicine, 1994. 154(15): p. 1705-1711.