Nocturnal oxyhemoglobin desaturation during sleep in congestive heart failure patients

Introduction: Sleep breathing disorders occur in 45% of patients with heart failure, with 36%50% manifesting Cheyne-Stokes respiration with central sleep apnea and 12% exhibiting obstructive sleep apnea. Several studies have shown that sleep pathophysiology may negatively affect the cardiovascular system and that cardiac dysfunction alters sleep and respiration. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine oxyhemoglobin desaturation during sleep in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) using overnight pulse oximetry. Methods: Overnight pulse oximetry was conducted in the patients homes with wrist pulse oximeters and finger probes that were placed around the forefingers of 15 patients with CHF and ejection fractions less than 50%, who were classified as New York Heart Association functional classes II and III. Results: The patients were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of seven patients with oxyhemoglobin desaturation indices of over 5 events/h, and the second group contained eight patients with oxyhemoglobin desaturation indices of 5 or less events/h. Students t-tests did not show any significant differences between the groups. The patients body mass indices correlated positively with the total desaturation episodes and desaturation time less than 90% and correlated negatively with the arterial oxygen saturation nadir. Conclusion: Pulse oximetry monitoring during sleep can be used to detect sleep breathing disorders in stable patients with CHF

Nocturnal oxyhemoglobin desaturation during sleep in congestive heart failure patients

Abstract Introduction: Sleep breathing disorders occur in 45% of patients with heart failure, with 36%-50% manifesting Cheyne-Stokes respiration with central sleep apnea and 12% exhibiting obstructive sleep apnea. Several studies have shown that sleep pathophysiology may negatively affect the cardiovascular system and that cardiac dysfunction alters sleep and respiration. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine oxyhemoglobin desaturation during sleep in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) using overnight pulse oximetry. Methods: Overnight pulse oximetry was conducted in the patients' homes with wrist pulse oximeters and finger probes that were placed around the forefingers of 15 patients with CHF and ejection fractions less than 50%, who were classified as New York Heart Association functional classes II and III. Results: The patients were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of seven patients with oxyhemoglobin desaturation indices of over 5 events/h, and the second group contained eight patients with oxyhemoglobin desaturation indices of 5 or less events/h. Student's t-tests did not show any significant differences between the groups. The patients' body mass indices correlated positively with the total desaturation episodes and desaturation time less than 90% and correlated negatively with the arterial oxygen saturation nadir. Conclusion: Pulse oximetry monitoring during sleep can be used to detect sleep breathing disorders in stable patients with CHF

A new tuning fork with different vibration frequencies as an aid to bronchopulmonary hygiene physiotherapy

Background: The main function of the mucociliary system is the removal of particles or substances that are potentially harmful to the respiratory tract. The tuning fork therapeutic for the purpose of bronchial hygiene has still not been described in the literature. The optimal vibration frequency to mobilize secretions is widely debated and varies between 3 and 25 Hz. It is expected that a tuning fork is able to generate vibrations in the thorax, facilitating bronchial hygiene. The aim of the present study is to develop tuning forks with different frequencies, for use in bronchopulmonary hygiene therapy. Methods: The first tuning fork was made with a fixed frequency of 25 Hz and it was recorded in the Brazilian institution of patent registration. This device generated a frequency of 25 Hz and had a weight of 521 g, with dimensions of 600 mm in total length. The device is characterized by a bottom end containing a transducer with a diameter of 62 mm and a thickness of 5/16 mm (8''), a rod removable 148 mm, fork length of 362 mm and an extension at the upper end of sinuous shape bilaterally.The tuning forks must be applied at an angle of 90° directly on the chest wall of the patient after pulmonary auscultation for location of secretions. The tuning fork is activated by squeezing the tips of the extensions together and releasing them in a sudden movement. Results: This study shows the result of the development of others three tuning forks of different dimensions to generate different frequencies. Each equipment reaches a fixed frequency preset of 12, 15 and 20 Hz measured by digital oscilloscope. Conclusions: The tuning fork models developed in this study generated different frequencies proposed by the scientific literature as effective in the mobilization of pulmonary secretions