Sedation in Patients at Risk for Upper Airway Collapse

The propensity to experience sleep disordered-breathing (SDB) is controlled by the interplay of anatomic factors (i.e. BMI, neck circumference, retrognathia) and neurological drive (sleep stage, arousal). The interaction of baseline anatomic factors and drug-induced altered neurologic drive may also convey a risk for upper airway collapse (UAC) in patients receiving analgesics, or sedation/anesthesia.1;2 While there is mainly only anecdotal evidence to support the proposition that SDB is a strong predictor of sedation-related adverse events,3;4 there is such a remarkable consensus of opinion regarding this association that, for example, the American Society of Anesthesiologists is developing guidelines to specifically address the issue of managing this group of "at risk" patients who are to undergo sedation or anesthesia. SDB is a term that is used to describe a spectrum of sleep-related breathing disturbances. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a condition that incorporates SDB with daytime symptoms (i.e. hypersomnolence). These terms are commonly used interchangeably. At this juncture, what is needed are clear demonstrations: 1) that SDB confers risk for sedation-related adverse events (epidemiologically and/or experimentally), 2) of the patient and drug factors that moderate/mediate the risk, and 3) of the mechanisms responsible for the patient by drug interactions. This proposed project will, in a preliminary way, address the first and second of these issues. Specifically, the upper airway characteristics of patients with different severity classifications of SDB will be assessed while under the influence of two, neuropharmacologically distinct, intravenous sedatives.