Sleep Disordered Breathing & Co-Morbidity
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I identify these patients?

Simple screening tools like Questionnaires (Berlin Questionnaire) and single channel screening (RU Sleeping) will give you the possibility to screen the patients. More advanced polygraphic systems (Stardust 2) give you a better understanding of the

Do I need new equipment to screen these patients?

No, not necessarily.  As a cardiologist you also can use your holter monitoring to check the patient. Extensive heart rate variability during the night is an indicator for SDB. Newer holter EKG devices offer additional info such as SDB event detection.

What do I do with my patient when the diagnosis is positive?

The patient has to be referred to a sleep lab where a specialist will take care about the SDB. The patient will undergo a polysomnograhic night (Alice 5) in the sleep lab. The sleep specialists diagnose the specific sleep disturbance out of the 84 classified ones and implement the specific treatment for the patient. After the introduction of therapy the patient will be controlled regularly in the sleep lab to ensure compliance.

How can I treat my patients?

There are different therapy options for the different diseases. The therapy can be drug treatment, behavioral training, PAP therapy (Sleep Therapy) etc.