An Inpatient Program for Diagnosing and Treating Sleep Apnea in Patients with Stroke

Background and Purpose: Sleep apnea (SA) is highly prevalent in the stroke population. Testing and treating SA in stroke patients is challenging due to inaccessibility to testing and impaired mobility. To address this problem, we designed and implemented an inpatient diagnosis and treatment program for managing SA in patients with stroke. Our main aim in this article is to assess the feasibility of this program. Methods: We tested 83 patients with a portable SA testing device and initiated treatment with auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure (A-CPAP) for those who were diagnosed with SA during their stay in an inpatient stroke rehabilitation unit (SRU). Patients diagnosed with SA were given a 2- to 4-week trial of A-CPAP in their hospital bed with close follow-up from a sleep medicine service. Results: Of the 83 patients tested, 54 (67.5%) had SA and 46 (85%) agreed to a trial of A-CPAP therapy. Of the 46 patients, who trialed A-CPAP, 32 (70%) achieved average daily use of four or more hours and went home with it. Conclusions: This program provides a feasible and convenient means of testing and treating SA among stroke patients undergoing inpatient stroke rehabilitation.