Lawrence J. Epstein

Sleep Disorders, Health, and Safety in Police Officers

CONTEXT Sleep disorders often remain undiagnosed. Untreated sleep disorders among police officers may adversely affect their health and safety and pose a risk to the public. OBJECTIVE To quantify associations between sleep disorder risk and self-reported health, safety, and performance outcomes in police officers. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Cross-sectional and prospective cohort study of North American police officers participating in either an online or an on-site screening (n=4957) and monthly follow-up surveys (n=3545 officers representing 15,735 person-months) between July 2005 and December 2007. A total of 3693 officers in the United States and Canada participated in the online screening survey, and 1264 officers from a municipal police department and a state police department participated in the on-site survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Comorbid health conditions (cross-sectional); performance and safety outcomes (prospective). RESULTS Of the 4957 participants, 40.4% screened positive for at least 1 sleep disorder, most of whom had not been diagnosed previously. Of the total cohort, 1666 (33.6%) screened positive for obstructive sleep apnea, 281 (6.5%) for moderate to severe insomnia, 269 (5.4%) for shift work disorder (14.5% of those who worked the night shift). Of the 4608 participants who completed the sleepiness scale, 1312 (28.5%) reported excessive sleepiness. Of the total cohort, 1294 (26.1%) reported falling asleep while driving at least 1 time a month. Respondents who screened positive for obstructive sleep apnea or any sleep disorder had an increased prevalence of reported physical and mental health conditions, including diabetes, depression, and cardiovascular disease. An analysis of up to 2 years of monthly follow-up surveys showed that those respondents who screened positive for a sleep disorder vs those who did not had a higher rate of reporting that they had made a serious administrative error (17.9% vs 12.7%; adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.43 [95% CI, 1.23-1.67]); of falling asleep while driving (14.4% vs 9.2%; adjusted OR, 1.51 [95% CI, 1.20-1.90]); of making an error or safety violation attributed to fatigue (23.7% vs 15.5%; adjusted OR, 1.63 [95% CI, 1.43-1.85]); and of exhibiting other adverse work-related outcomes including uncontrolled anger toward suspects (34.1% vs 28.5%; adjusted OR, 1.25 [95% CI, 1.09-1.43]), absenteeism (26.0% vs 20.9%; adjusted OR, 1.23 [95% CI, 1.08-1.40]), and falling asleep during meetings (14.1% vs 7.0%; adjusted OR, 1.95 [95% CI, 1.52-2.52]). CONCLUSION Among a group of North American police officers, sleep disorders were common and were significantly associated with increased risk of self-reported adverse health, performance, and safety outcomes.

An official american thoracic society statement: Continuous positive airway pressure adherence tracking systems the optimal monitoring strategies and outcome measures in adults

BACKGROUND Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is considered the treatment of choice for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and studies have shown that there is a correlation between patient adherence and treatment outcomes. Newer CPAP machines can track adherence, hours of use, mask leak, and residual apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Such data provide a strong platform to examine OSA outcomes in a chronic disease management model. However, there are no standards for capturing CPAP adherence data, scoring flow signals, or measuring mask leak, or for how clinicians should use these data. METHODS American Thoracic Society (ATS) committee members were invited, based on their expertise in OSA and CPAP monitoring. Their conclusions were based on both empirical evidence identified by a comprehensive literature review and clinical experience. RESULTS CPAP usage can be reliably determined from CPAP tracking systems, but the residual events (apnea/hypopnea) and leak data are not as easy to interpret as CPAP usage and the definitions of these parameters differ among CPAP manufacturers. Nonetheless, ends of the spectrum (very high or low values for residual events or mask leak) appear to be clinically meaningful. CONCLUSIONS Providers need to understand how to interpret CPAP adherence tracking data. CPAP tracking systems are able to reliably track CPAP adherence. Nomenclature on the CPAP adherence tracking reports needs to be standardized between manufacturers and AHIFlow should be used to describe residual events. Studies should be performed examining the usefulness of the CPAP tracking systems and how these systems affect OSA outcomes.

The art and science of continuous positive airway pressure therapy in obstructive sleep apnea.

Despite the high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome, no ideal therapy has emerged to date. Based on recent randomized trials, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the treatment of choice. Although CPAP can prevent pharyngeal collapse in virtually all patients who choose to wear it, poor patient adherence with treatment limits its effectiveness. Although convincing data exist that treatment with CPAP can alleviate the neurocognitive sequelae of OSA, data on cardiovascular complications are more limited. Several recent reports support a lowering of nocturnal and daytime blood pressure with CPAP, but data on the prevention of myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular events are currently lacking. Patient adherence with CPAP can be improved with optimization of mask comfort, heated humidification, and intensive support and education. For those who remain poorly compliant, alternative therapies such as autotitrating devices and oral positive airway pressure can be considered. Further research into the basic mechanisms underlying OSA will be required for new therapeutic targets to develop.

Neurobehavioral performance impairment in insomnia: relationships with self-reported sleep and daytime functioning

STUDY OBJECTIVES Despite the high prevalence of insomnia, daytime consequences of the disorder are poorly characterized. This study aimed to identify neurobehavioral impairments associated with insomnia, and to investigate relationships between these impairments and subjective ratings of sleep and daytime dysfunction. DESIGN Cross-sectional, multicenter study. SETTING Three sleep laboratories in the USA and Australia. PATIENTS Seventy-six individuals who met the Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) for Primary Insomnia, Psychophysiological Insomnia, Paradoxical Insomnia, and/or Idiopathic Childhood Insomnia (44F, 35.8 ± 12.0 years [mean ± SD]) and 20 healthy controls (14F, 34.8 ± 12.1 years). INTERVENTIONS N/A. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Participants completed a 7-day sleep-wake diary, questionnaires assessing daytime dysfunction, and a neurobehavioral test battery every 60-180 minutes during an afternoon/evening sleep laboratory visit. Included were tasks assessing sustained and switching attention, working memory, subjective sleepiness, and effort. Switching attention and working memory were significantly worse in insomnia patients than controls, while no differences were found for simple or complex sustained attention tasks. Poorer sustained attention in the control, but not the insomnia group, was significantly associated with increased subjective sleepiness. In insomnia patients, poorer sustained attention performance was associated with reduced health-related quality of life and increased insomnia severity. CONCLUSIONS We found that insomnia patients exhibit deficits in higher level neurobehavioral functioning, but not in basic attention. The findings indicate that neurobehavioral deficits in insomnia are due to neurobiological alterations, rather than sleepiness resulting from chronic sleep deficiency.

Changes in self-stimulatory behaviors with treatment.

For four of six autistic children who underwent intensive behavioral treatment, the nature of their self-stimulatory behavior changed from initial “lowlevel” motor behaviors (such as rocking, spinning, twirling) to differing kinds of “higher-level” behaviors (such as lining of objects, echolalic speech, and preoccupation with spelling and numerical values). The children who changed to the highest levels of self-stimulatory behavior also showed the largest gains in treatment (as determined by IQ scores, school placement, etc.). The changes in self-stimulatory behaviors were attributed to the intense teaching of appropriate social behaviors and the explicit therapeutic suppression of low-level, self-stimulatory behaviors. The long-term therapeutic effects of changing from lower-to higher-level forms of self-stimulatory behavior were discussed.

American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) position paper for the use of telemedicine for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders

The American Academy of Sleep Medicines (AASM) Taskforce on Sleep Telemedicine supports telemedicine as a means of advancing patient health by improving access to the expertise of Board-Certified Sleep Medicine Specialists. However, such access improvement needs to be anchored in attention to quality and value in diagnosing and treating sleep disorders. Telemedicine is also useful to promote professionalism through patient care coordination and communication between other specialties and sleep medicine. Many of the principles and key concepts adopted here are based on U.S. industry standards, with special consideration given to the body of work by the American Telemedicine Association (http://www.americantelemed.org/), and abide by standards endorsed by the American Medical Association (http://www.ama-assn.org/). Practitioners who wish to integrate sleep telemedicine into their practice should have a clear understanding of the salient issues, key terminology, and the following recommendations from the AASM. The Taskforce recommends the following: • Clinical care standards for telemedicine services should mirror those of live office visits, including all aspects of diagnosis and treatment decisions as would be reasonably expected in traditional office-based encounters. • Clinical judgment should be exercised when determining the scope and extent of telemedicine applications in the diagnosis and treatment of specific patients and sleep disorders. • Live Interactive Telemedicine for sleep disorders, if utilized in a manner consistent with the principles outlined in this document, should be recognized and reimbursed in a manner competitive or comparable with traditional in-person visits. • Roles, expectations, and responsibilities of providers involved in the delivery of sleep telemedicine should be defined, including those at originating sites and distant sites. • The practice of telemedicine should aim to promote a care model in which sleep specialists, patients, primary care providers, and other members of the healthcare team aim to improve the value of healthcare delivery in a coordinated fashion. • Appropriate technical standards should be upheld throughout the telemedicine care delivery process, at both the originating and distant sites, and specifically meet the standards set forth by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). • Methods that aim to improve the utility of telemedicine exist and should be explored, including the utilization of patient presenters, local resources and providers, adjunct testing, and add-on technologies. • Quality Assurance processes should be in place for telemedicine care delivery models that aim to capture process measures, patient outcomes, and patient/provider experiences with the model(s) employed. • Time for data management, quality processes, and other aspects of care delivery related to telemedicine encounters should be recognized in value-based care delivery models. • The use of telemedicine services and its equipment should adhere to strict professional and ethical standards so as not to violate the intent of the telemedicine interaction while aiming to improve overall patient access, quality, and/or value of care. • When billing for telemedicine services, it is recommended that patients, providers, and others rendering services understand payor reimbursements, and that there be financial transparency throughout the process. • Telemedicine utilization for sleep medicine is likely to rapidly expand, as are broader telehealth applications in general; further research into the impact and outcomes of these are needed. This document serves as a resource by defining issues and terminology and explaining recommendations. However, it is not intended to supersede regulatory or credentialing recommendations and guidelines. It is intended to support and be consistent with professional and ethical standards of the profession.

Predictors Of Loud Snoring In Persons With Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract Background: Predictors of loud snoring were examined in a cohort of 197 persons with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) recruitedby advertisement and from a Veterans Affairs Medical Center SCI Service. Methods: Data were collected on age, marital status, antispasticity medications, duration of injury, level and completeness of injury,stature, and weight.Body mass index (BMI) was calculated for all participants. A health questionnaire was used to collect data onsnoring and respiratory history. Habitual snorers were defined as those who reported loud snoring more than 1 night per week. Results: The mean age(± SD) was 51.2 ± 14.8 years, and 84 of 197 (42.6%) were habitual snorers. The most obese researchsubjects,regardless of antispasticity medication use, were more likely to report snoring,but the risk of snoring was greatest among subjectswho were obese and used antispasticitymedication. Subjects who used antispasticity medication and had a BMI above the median(≥25.3 kg/m2) had a 7 -fold risk of reporting snoring compared with subjects below the median who did not use antispasticity medication(P =.001 ). The greatest risk occurred in those who used diazepam alone or baclofen and diazepam together and had a BMI ator above themedian. Subjects who used these medications and had a BMI below the median did not have asignificantly increased risk.Neurological motor completeness, level of injury, age, and years since injury were not significant predictors of snoring. Conclusion: Because snoring is a marker for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the data suggest that in obese individualswith SCI,the use of antispasticity medications may be a risk factor for OSA.

A warning shot across the bow: the changing face of sleep medicine.

On January 23, 2013, Sleep HealthCenters (SHC) abruptly closed its doors, leaving over 30,000 patients without a sleep provider, over 170 people without jobs, and disrupting the provision of sleep care within an entire region of the country. As publically reported in the media, it was an ignominious end to one of the largest sleep medicine practices in the country. The practice had long been regarded as a leader in the provision of comprehensive sleep services, utilizing a practice paradigm that was thought to be a model of excellence in patient care and cost effectiveness. As everyone affected by the closure scrambled to adjust to the situation, from patients unclear of where to get care or PAP supplies to doctors without access to medical records to hospitals and medical groups without vendors to provide sleep services, the most important questions are why did this happen and what does it mean for other sleep providers?

Measurement of Gastric PCO2 as an Index of Tissue Hypoxia during Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Background: Gastric mucosal ischemia develops in critically ill patients in a number of clinical settings due to diversion of blood flow from the splanchnic bed to more vital organs, and can be detected by the measurement of gastric intramucosal pH (pHi). Study Objective: We hypothesized that similar changes would occur during obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to increased respiratory work during the periods of apnea. Methods: Gastric Pco2, pHi and arterial blood gases were measured during 3 conditions in 8 patients with severe OSA: at baseline awake, while asleep with ≧30 obstructive apneas or hypopneas per hour, and asleep after elimination of apneas with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Results: Significant changes between the baseline and apnea conditions were detected using ANOVA for repeated measures for gastric PCO2, 40.2 ± 5.3 vs. 85.4 ± 34.0 (p < 0.001), pHi, 7.41 ± 0.06 vs. 7.11 ± 0.17 (p < 0.005), and the gastric-arterial PCO2 difference (DCO2), –2.3 ± 5.5 vs. 44.3 ± 36.21 (p < 0.006). Nasal CPAP returned all measures back to baseline values. Conclusions: Gastric tissue hypoxia develops in patients with severe OSA and may be a marker of disease severity. Treatment of OSA with CPAP eliminates the regional tissue hypoxia.

Oral appliances in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.

Treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea with oral appliances is a promising alternative to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. Although there is wide variability in appliance design, these devices produce enlargement of the upper airway by advancing the mandible, tongue, or both. Oral appliances effectively reduce snoring in a significant proportion of individuals. In general they are less effective than CPAP in eliminating obstructive sleep apnea, with approximately 50% of individuals experiencing resolution of their obstructive sleep apnea with these devices. Patients with milder disease have greater success with oral appliance therapy than those with more severe disease. A small proportion of patients will experience worsening of their sleep apnea with an oral appliance, and close follow-up after device prescription is mandatory. Patient satisfaction with oral appliances may be better than that with CPAP.