Sleep Breath 2004; 8(3): 161-164
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-834487
CASE REPORT

Copyright © 2004 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Gunshot Wound to the Head: An Unusual Complication of Sleep Apnea and Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure

John Baron1 , Dennis Auckley1
  • 1Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
24 September 2004 (online)

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Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has been associated with motor vehicle accidents and work-related injuries. Proposed mechanisms for this association have included excessive sleepiness, decreased vigilance, inattentiveness, and psychological impairment, all related to the abnormal sleep and nocturnal hypoxia seen in OSAS. This report describes a case of an accidental gunshot wound to the head in an individual with known OSAS who was experiencing progressive cognitive and psychological deterioration due to suboptimal treatment of his sleep-disordered breathing. The literature on the neuropsychological consequences of OSAS is briefly reviewed.