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The Physicians' Page for Snoring and Sleep Apnea Information and
Treatment
The Sleepy Patient
Patients with daytime somnolence can best be identified with the
Epworth or Berlin
questionnaires. Ideally, these patients require polysomnography
in a sleep lab. Unfortunately in the lower mainland of B.C.,
we only have two such labs,
and together their waiting list is many months long. As a
result, we are using overnight oximetry in the patient's home
to establish
the likelihood of significant sleep apnea in a somnolent patient.
The following algorithm indicates how we currently manage these
patients. The Centre emphasizes that this is far from ideal, and
if patients live elsewhere, or are willing to travel elsewhere,
we encourage them to have a polysomnogram undertaken before presenting
to us.
- "Sleepiness in BC" Algorithm Diagram (Choose your
Resolution) 800x
600 or 1024 x 768
- "Sleepiness in BC" Algorithm (PDF)
In the following text a reference is made by a number like this
(1). See reference list at the bottom
of each page. Here are some definitions and statistics relating
to the more common symptoms and treatments:
News
Referral
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