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Sleep Breath 2002; 06(1): 001-002
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-23149
EDITORIAL

Copyright © 2002 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA. Tel.: +1(212) 584-4662

Sleep Disordered Breathing and COPD

Alberto Braghiroli1 , Rudolfo Álvarez-Sala2
  • 1``Salvatore Maugeri'' Foundation, I.R.C.C.S., Division of Respiratory Disease, Scientific Institute of Veruno, Veruno, Italy
  • 2Department of Pulmonology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Publication History

Publication Date:
26 March 2002 (online)

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ABSTRACT

This issue of Sleep and Breathing presents a section on sleep in COPD, a widespread disease consuming many health resources which is often diagnosed so late that little chance of reversibility remains. The early detection of the warning clinical signs can include sleep studies, mainly in the presence of arterial carbon dioxide levels higher than expected from pulmonary function tests. Two of the articles deal with hypercapnia and nocturnal hypoventilation in COPD; the third underlines the impact of tobacco smoking on snoring and on oxygen availability to tissues, showing a poor reliability of pulse oximetry in subjects with heavy smoking habits.

KEYWORD

COPD - hypoxia - polysomnography - sleep apnea