PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Grietje de Vries AU - Petra Meijer AU - Trinette Blijham AU - Huib Kerstjens AU - Peter Wijkstra TI - Treatment of central sleep apnea in patients with heart failure: A retrospective observational study DP - 2012 Sep 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - P3806 VI - 40 IP - Suppl 56 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P3806.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P3806.full SO - Eur Respir J2012 Sep 01; 40 AB - IntroductionIn patients with heart failure (HF) and central sleep apnea syndrome (CSAS) different therapeutic options, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), bi-level PAP (BiPAP) and adaptive servoventilation (ASV) are available. All are potentially effective in improving heart function and in reducing apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), while ASV is generally considered to be most effective.AimTo assess how HF-patients with CSAS (AHI ≥15) respond to the different treatments in terms of AHI.MethodsCPAP was given first, and when ineffective or when patients still experienced SAS related complaints, followed by BiPAP and/or ASV. Efficacy was assessed by a sleep study under treatment. Treatment was considered effective when AHI reduced <15/hour or reduced at least 50% from the baseline AHI to a value <20/hour.Results14 males (70 y) were assessed.ConclusionsAlthough ASV seems to prove to be most effective in HF-patients with CSAS, CPAP and BiPAP together are still effective in 57% of the patients. Given the lower costs of CPAP and BiPAP, algorithms and guidelines are needed for initial treatment mode selection in patients with both HF and CSAS.