Validity analysis of respiratory events of polysomnography using a plethysmography chest and abdominal belt.

PURPOSE: Respiratory inductive plethysmography (RIP) is recommended as an alternative respiratory sensor for the identification of each apnea and hypopnea event in polysomnography. Using this sensor, the cumulative RIP results from the chest and abdomen (RIP sum) and time-derived results of the RIP sum (RIP flow) are calculated to track respiratory flow. However, the effectiveness of this sensor and the calculated respiratory results is still unclear, and validation studies for the scoring of respiratory events in polysomnography are rare. METHODS: Two hundred subjects were selected according to the severity of obstructive sleep apnea. A sleep specialist re-evaluated the respiratory events based on RIP flow data in a single-blind study. Statistical analysis was conducted with paired respiratory events scored in each of the RIP flow and polysomnography datasets. RESULTS: All respiratory events scored from the RIP flow were strongly correlated with those identified with standard sensors of polysomnography, regardless of disease severity. Most of the respiratory parameters from RIP flow trended toward underestimation. The RIP flow obtained from the alternative RIP sensor was appropriate for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea based on a receiver operating characteristic curve. CONCLUSIONS: Scored respiratory events from RIP flow data effectively reflected the respiratory flow and statistically correlated with the results from standard polysomnography sensors. Therefore, analyzing RIP flow utilizing an RIP sensor is considered a reliable method for respiratory event scoring.

The clinical efficacy of early intervention for infected preauricular sinus.

OBJECTIVE: The study was designed to evaluate the outcomes of early surgical intervention, and to suggest the accurate operation time and surgical strategies. METHODS: A total of 190 cases (144 patients) of PAS excision were classified into 2 groups according to their time of surgery; early intervention group (n = 53), and non-early intervention group (n = 137). Early intervention was defined as excision performed within 3 weeks from their first hospital visit, and after acute infection control, surgical removal was followed regardless of their infection status. The mean age of patients was 18.3 ± 15.7 years old (62 male, 82 female). During surgery, a parallel incision was added when iatrogenic fistula due to incision and drainage (I &D) or additionally opened wounds caused by infection was present. RESULTS: Cases of I & D history, revision cases, use of preoperative antibiotics were significantly higher in the early intervention group compared to the non-early intervention group, however, the time of surgery did not affect the complication rate (p = 0.533). Within the infected cases, only 1 patient from the non-early intervention group showed a minor complication of keloid scar. During our follow up period of minimum of 6 months, there was no recurrence in either groups. CONCLUSION: The early intervention of PASs does not seem to increase postoperative complication or recurrence rates. A double parallel skin incision is a simple but adequate technique to treat infected PASs.