Early recognition of obstructive sleep apnea in patients hospitalized with COPD exacerbation is associated with reduced readmission

ABSTRACTObjectives: The combination of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is known as the “overlap syndrome”, and results in frequent hospitalizations and worse prognosis. We hypothesized that early detection and treatment of this condition in hospitalized patients may reduce clinical events (hospital admissions and emergency room visits) Methods: Between April 2013 and January 2014 all patients consulted for COPD exacerbation and having a BMI of > 30 kg/m2 were screened for OSA. If high risk, patients underwent a polysomnography on discharge. Readmission rate in patients compliant with positive airway pressure was compared to patients who were deemed non-compliant based on objective data from the device. Results: Full polysomnogram data and compliance was available on 24 patients. The baseline characteristics were comparable between the compliant and non-compliant groups. The mean change in the total clinical events 6 months prior to intervention compared to 6 months ...