Marie Joyeux-Faure

Comparison of continuous positive airway pressure and bosentan effect in mildly hypertensive patients with obstructive sleep apnoea: A randomized controlled pilot study.

Randomized controlled trials (RCT) have shown that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has only limited impact on blood pressure (BP). Alternative strategies for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA)‐associated hypertension are therefore needed. Endothelin‐1 has been demonstrated a key player in the deleterious cardiovascular consequences of OSA. In OSA, CPAP treatment has never been compared with endothelin receptor antagonist medications. Thus, we assessed the respective efficacy of CPAP and bosentan in reducing 24‐h diastolic BP (DBP) in patients with OSA never treated by either therapy.

Continuous positive airway pressure treatment impact on memory processes in obstructive sleep apnea patients: a randomized sham-controlled trial

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in a large panel of memory processes after six weeks of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. This randomized controlled trial compared the influence of effective CPAP to sham CPAP over six weeks on different memory processes in OSA patients. METHODS The study took place in a sleep laboratory and outpatient sleep clinic in a French tertiary-care university hospital. A total of 36 patients with OSA were randomized to receive either CPAP (n = 18) or sham CPAP (n = 18) for six weeks. Interventions were either effective CPAP or non-effective sham CPAP, for six weeks. All patients underwent an extensive battery of tasks evaluating three separate memory systems, before and after treatment. Verbal episodic memory was tested after forced encoding, procedural memory was tested using simplified versions of mirror drawing and reading tests, and working memory was examined with validated paradigms based on a theoretical model. RESULTS The study subjects were 55 ± 11 years of age and 72.2% were male. The mean body mass index was 29.5 ± 4.1 kg/m2 and the apnea-hypopnea index was 37.1 ± 16.3/h. Prior to treatment, memory performances of OSA patients were altered. In an intention-to-treat analysis, memory deficits were not significantly improved after six weeks of effective CPAP compared to sham CPAP treatment. Verbal episodic, procedural, and working memory scores were comparable between both groups. CONCLUSION Using cautious methodology in comparing effective CPAP to sham CPAP and a well-defined set of memory assessments, we did not find improvement in memory performance after six weeks of treatment.

Acquired central hypoventilation following Listeria monocytogenes rhombencephalitis

Acquired central hypoventilation syndrome (CHS) is a rare cause of respiratory failure. We report a case of acquired CHS, diagnosed several years after Listeria monocytogenes (LM) rhombencephalitis. In 1993, a 46-year-old woman presented to our Sleep Clinic with poor sleep, nocturnal choking episodes and daytime fatigue. She denied habitual snoring and hypersomnolence. Her medical history was unremarkable except for severe LM rhombencephalitis in 1977. At that time, the patient had been hospitalised in the intensive care unit following the acute onset of fever, influenza-like symptoms, meningism, facial palsy and nystagmus. Blood and cerebral spinal fluid samples were positive for LM on direct microscopic exam as well cultures. Treatment was initiated but the patient acutely deteriorated, exhibiting tetra paresis, bilateral pontomedullary syndrome, impairment of vigilance, and experienced a cardiac arrest. She was successfully resuscitated and remained in the intensive care unit with gradual and slow recovery. After a lengthy hospital stay, she was eventually discharged from the hospital and resumed a normal life, with few neurological sequelae such as dysphagia and mild facial palsy. To investigate the patients sleep complaints, an in-laboratory full polysomnography was obtained and revealed central sleep apnoeas and hypopnoeas (Apnoea–Hypopnoea index (AHI)=50 events/hour) with severe nocturnal hypoxaemia. Morning arterial blood gases revealed alveolar hypoventilation with partial pressure of arterial CO2 or PaCO2 of 6.7 kPa and PaO2 of 9.5 kPa. The patient refused further investigations and therapy but agreed to return to clinic for a follow-up in 1 year. In 1994, polysomnography and arterial blood gases showed persistent sleep apnoea and daytime hypoventilation but the patient continued to decline treatment. The patient was then lost to follow-up until 2011, when she presented for the third time to the Sleep Clinic complaining of daytime fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, choking episode during sleep and …

Drugs influencing acid base balance and bicarbonate concentration readings

ABSTRACT Serum bicarbonate dosage is sensitive to pharmacological interferences. However, elevated bicarbonate concentration reflects chronic hypoventilation and has been proposed as a simple marker for screening patients with Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome (OHS), a currently underdiagnosed multimorbid and high mortality disease. We provide a practical overview of the different drugs acting on the acid-base equilibrium to aid clinicians to interpret bicarbonate concentration readings. Little is known about the chronic impact of the usual doses of these drugs on serum bicarbonate concentration and further studies are needed. It is essential to take into account drugs that could interfere with this parameter to avoid misinterpretation of serum bicarbonate levels.