Managing Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is the temporary cessation of breathing during sleep, whereas obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition in which the flow of air pauses or decreases during breathing while you are asleep because the airway has become narrowed, blocked, or floppy. A pause in breathing is called an apnea episode. A decrease in airflow during breathing is called a hypopnea episode. Almost everyone has brief apnea episodes while they sleep.
A person who has OSA often is not aware of the apnea episodes during the night. Often, family members witness the periods of apnea. A person with OSA usually begins snoring heavily soon after falling asleep. Often, the snoring gets louder. The snoring is then interrupted by a long silent period during which there is no breathing. This is followed by a loud snort and gasp, as the person attempts to breathe. This pattern repeats.
The goal is to keep the airway open so that breathing does not stop during sleep. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is now the first treatment for OSA in most people. CPAP is delivered by a machine with a tight-fitting facemask. CPAP is a treatment that delivers slightly pressurized air during the breathing cycle. This keeps the windpipe open during sleep and prevents episodes of blocked breathing in persons with OSA and other breathing problems.
Source: U.S. NLM PubMed Health
(www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth)

The Most Advanced CPAP to Date
Philips Respironics is shaping the future of sleep therapy by providing an innovative technology for treating and managing OSA—its most advanced CPAP device to date. The new REMstar Pro with AutoIQ is a prime example of an intelligent solution that allows providers and physicians to deliver exceptional care while helping their patients take control of their sleep therapy.
The new AutoIQ mode has the ability to track a patient's progress over several nights, establish or readjust to an ideal therapy pressure, and check back periodically to reassess and adjust treatment as needed. This is all done without requiring the provider to visit the patient's home.
"Philips Respironics is committed to developing innovations that take us one step closer to making patient success automatic, allowing patients to benefit from better sleep. REMstar Pro with AutoIQ demonstrates our ongoing pledge to providers and their patients to be their ally in better sleep and breathing. By providing intelligent solutions and advancements in technology, we are shaping the future of sleep therapy," said John Frank, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Sleep and Respiratory Care, Philips Home  Healthcare Solutions.
There are two distinct phases of the AutoIQ mode: Auto-Trial and Auto-Check. The first phase, Auto-Trial, uses the proven Philips Respironics auto-algorithm for periods of 3 days or more, adding up to a total of 30 days, to deliver breath-by-breath therapy and learn the patient's treatment needs. Auto-Trial days can be saved to reassess therapy at a later date should the patient's condition or characteristics change, such as weight gain or a change in sleeping environment. At the end of the Auto-Trial phase, the device analyzes the data to identify and automatically deliver the ideal pressure for that patient. It can also deliver a fixed pressure that has been set by the clinician.

balerínky