PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Rachel Harding AU - Swapna Mandal AU - Carley King AU - Michelle Ramsay AU - Eui-Sik Suh AU - Nicholas Hart TI - Nocturnal hypercapnia in eucapnic obese patients With sleep disordered breathing (SDB) DP - 2013 Sep 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - P3999 VI - 42 IP - Suppl 57 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P3999.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P3999.full SO - Eur Respir J2013 Sep 01; 42 AB - Introduction:Obese patients with suspected SDB and hypercapnia are investigated with an arterial blood gas and overnight oximetry. We investigated the proportion of eucapnic obese patients who exhibit nocturnal hypercapnic respiratory failure.Method: Prospectively entered data from electronic patient record (Carevue, Philips, USA) from January 2012-December 2012 were analysed.Obese patients with suspected SDB attending for inpatient overnight transcutaneous carbon dioxide (TcCO2) and oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring were included.Results:44 patients were assessed, of which 29 (68%) exhibited daytime eucapnia with a bicarbonate level of 26(1.7)mmols/L.21% (6/29) were eucapnic day and night.79% (23/29) of these demonstrated nocturnal hypercapnia with a mean TcCO2 of 6.5kpa and 75% of time spent with TcCO2>6kpa. 15 (34%) were hypercapnic during the day and overnight, with a mean TcCO2 of 6.8kPa and 81% of the time spent with a TcCO2 above 6kPa.Conclusion:These data demonstrate that the majority of obese patients referred for assessment of SDB and nocturnal hypercapnia are eucapnic during the day. However, a significant percentage develop hypercapnia overnight. The daytime bicarbonate level was within normal limits, indicating that overnight carbon dioxide monitoring must be considered in obese patients with sleep disordered breathing and eucapnia.