ABSTRACT
It is important for the physician to educate the patient and family of the potential current and future implications of untreated sleep disordered breathing. Indications for treatment include the presence of significant disease (snoring or apnea), significant current symptoms (Table 1), significant current morbidity (Table 2, and the co-morbidities listed earlier), or a significant risk of future morbidity (Table 3). The overall objectives of therapy should include the resolution of the signs and symptoms of sleep disordered breathing, improving the patient’s quality of life, and normalization of sleep parameters (AHI, oxyhemoglobin desaturation, and sleep fragmentation) as these polysomnographic measures of sleep disordered breathing are most likely to be associated with future morbidity.
