Diagnostic work-up of exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction.

PURPOSE: Exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO) is suspected when dyspnea associated with upper airway symptoms is triggered by exercise. This condition affects mainly adolescent athletes. Visualization of the obstruction, while the patient is experiencing the symptoms during continuous laryngoscopy during exercise (CLE-test) is the gold standard for diagnosing EILO. Our study aims to evaluate the prevalence of EILO in a population presenting exercise-induced inspiratory symptoms (EIIS) or uncontrolled asthma with exertional symptoms. The second objective was to evaluate the diagnostic strength of laryngology consultation (LC) and pulmonary function tests (PFTs). METHODS: All patients referred to our center for EIIS or uncontrolled asthma with exertional symptoms were included. EILO diagnosis was made if Maat score was > 2 for patients with CLE-test or if there were inspiratory anomalies on PFTs and LC. The sensitivity and specificity of LC and PFTs as diagnostic tools were calculated considering CLE-test as the gold standard. RESULTS: Sixty two patients were referred to our center for EIIS or uncontrolled asthma with exertional symptoms. EILO was diagnosed in 28 patients (56%) with associated asthma in 9 patients (18%). The sensibility and specificity of LC for supraglottic anomalies were 75% and 60%, respectively. The sensibility and specificity of PFTs were 61% and 89%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There was a high prevalence of EILO among patients with EIIS and uncontrolled asthma. Some clinical characteristics might guide the diagnosis. Nevertheless, CLE-test remained the gold standard for EILO diagnosis and identification of the dysfunctional upper airway site to provide specific management.

Sleep-disordered breathing and ventilatory chemosensitivity in first ischaemic stroke patients: a prospective cohort study.

RATIONALE: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is highly prevalent after stroke. The clinical and ventilatory chemosensitivity characteristics of SDB, namely obstructive, central and coexisting obstructive and central sleep apnoea (coexisting sleep apnoea) following stroke are poorly described. OBJECTIVE: To determine the respective clinical and ventilatory chemosensitivity characteristics of SDB at least 3 months after a first ischaemic stroke. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of a prospective, monocentric cohort conducted in a university hospital. 380 consecutive stroke or transient ischaemic attack patients were screened between December 2016 and December 2019. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Full-night polysomnography, and hypercapnic ventilatory response were performed at a median (Q1; Q3) time from stroke onset of 134.5 (97.0; 227.3) days. 185 first-time stroke patients were included in the analysis. 94 (50.8%) patients presented no or mild SDB (Apnoea-Hypopnoea Index <15 events/hour of sleep) and 91 (49.2%) moderate to severe SDB, of which 52 (57.1%) presented obstructive sleep apnoea and 39 (42.9%) coexisting or central sleep apnoea. Obstructive sleep apnoea patients significantly differed regarding their clinical presentation from patients with no or mild SDB, whereas there was no difference with coexisting and central sleep apnoea patients. The latter presented a higher frequency of cerebellar lesions along with a heightened hypercapnic ventilatory response compared with no or mild SDB patients. CONCLUSION: SDB in first-time stroke patients differ in their presentation by their respective clinical traits and ventilatory chemosensitivity characteristics. The heightened hypercapnic ventilatory response in coexisting and central sleep apnoea stroke patients may orientate them to specific ventilatory support.

Temporal link between cardiac arrhythmias and postoperative episodes of hypoxemia during nocturnal sleep in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is known to impact morbidity in the perioperative period through a postoperative exacerbation of respiratory events after general anesthesia. Cardiac arrhythmias may be triggered by respiratory and/or hypoxic events, therefore we searched for a temporal link between cardiac arrhythmias and episodes of hypoxemia following surgery under general anesthesia during the nocturnal sleep phase. METHODS: We included patients with a preoperative STOP-BANG questionnaire score between 3 and 8, planned for an elective surgery with general anesthesia. Patients had a preoperative sleep study (N0) and two postoperative sleep studies on the first (N1) and third (N3) night after surgery. Patients with mild-to-moderate OSA (apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) between 15 and 30) were compared to patients with an AHI <15 (nil-mild OSA group). Analysis was conducted to detect concomitant hypoxic episodes and cardiac arrhythmias as defined by auricular or ventricular premature complexes, ventricular or supraventricular arrhythmias. MAIN RESULTS: 39 patients comprised the moderate-OSA group and 12 patients the nil-mild OSA group. In the whole cohort, the incidence of cardiac arrhythmias associated with hypoxic episodes was increased at N3 compared to N0 (median: 1 event per hour of recorded time [IQR: 0; 4] vs 0 [0; 2], p = 0.04). We observed this in the OSA group compared to the nil-mild OSA group (1 [0; 4] vs 1 [0; 2], respectively; p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: This study indicates that more cardiac arrhythmias associated with hypoxemic episodes can be observed in the postoperative night, in patients with moderate OSA. This reinforces the importance of preoperative screening for OSA. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY: NCT02833662.