Here are eight things to know about obstructive sleep apnea:
1. Surgical patients are at risk for complications during a hospitalization or surgery whether they know they have OSA or not.
2. Both children and adults can have OSA.
3. Patients with OSA may have complications receiving sedatives like opioid analgesia or general anesthesia. Sedatives and narcotics can decrease pharyngeal muscle tone which may worsen existing OSA and increase upper airway resistance.
4. OSA is associated with diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart failure and coronary artery disease among other comorbidities.
5. Around one in four adults in the United States is impacted by OSA, but 90 percent are undiagnosed.
6. Symptoms of OSA include snoring, restlessness or resuscitative snorts during sleep and respiratory efforts during arousal from sleep. People with OSA may also suffer from sleepiness and poor concentration during the day.
7. The Joint Commission recommends screening and identifying patients with OSA to minimize the number of undiagnosed patients presenting for surgery.
8. Each patient’s care plan should be evaluated and proper precautions should be taken. The aspects of care to consider include assessing sedating medications and narcotics use, continuous pulse oximetry monitoring, supplemental oxygen or positive airway pressure devices and patient positioning.
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