KCH Sleep Center Expands Rooms, Offers Daytime Testing For Sleep Apnea Disorders
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
Kosciusko Community Hospital expanded its sleep lab in September by adding two more rooms to its sleep center to accommodate the growing needs of diagnosing sleep apnea in the county.
Another addition is the sleep center added to its apnea testing hours.
"The testing during the day is geared to patients who work third shift and cannot come in for a sleep test at night," said Dr. Manuel Cervoni, KCH sleep center medical director.
Sleep apnea is caused by a blockage of airway when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep, Cervoni said.
The KCH Sleep Center opened in 2003 and has seen an increase in patients needing sleep apnea testing since the center opened, according to Dreama Lozier, KCH sleep center manager.
"The expansion was to meet patient's needs because we were booked out two months in advance for sleep tests and needed more rooms and daytime hours for sleep apnea testing," Lozier said.
Lozier said the center conducts approximately 500 sleep studies a year for children as young as 4, with the oldest sleep study patient being 90 years old.
The majority of the patients who receive sleep testing at KCH come from Kosciusko, Whitley and Wabash counties.
Patients are required to be referred to by a physician before undergoing a sleep apnea study.
People who undergo sleep studies often have symptoms of not being able to sleep due to excessive snoring and not breathing well when sleeping, Lozier said.
Each of the four sleep rooms at the sleep lab has the capability of running a polysomnogram, a multiple sleep latency test and continuous positive airway pressure therapy.
A polysomnogram is an overnight sleep study that measures the activity of the brain, heart and movement of the muscles and eyes. Sensors are put on the patient's head, face, chest and legs to monitor their breathing, brain activity, heart rate and leg movements.
The multiple sleep latency test measures how long it takes for a person to fall asleep during the day.
Following a polysomnogram, the patient may be diagnosed with sleep apnea.
"Some people with sleep apnea may be able to sleep at night, but they are not getting quality sleep," Lozier said.
Each study is recorded on a computer using a sleep program. The studies are then scored and sent to the sleep physician for interpretation.
Lozier said a normal sleep pattern does not have a gap in breathing, but people with sleep apnea have significant gaps in their sleeping pattern.
The most severe cases are when a person stops breathing 800 times a night, but is not that common at the sleep center, Lozier said.
"If a person stops breathing 30 times per hour when sleeping, they should consult their physician," Lozier said.
A continuous positive airway pressure study is conducted.
Sleep technicians can tell after the first night of tests if a person has sleep apnea by the patient's breathing patterns, Lozier said.
Although sleep apnea is not generally hereditary, Lozier said she has seen spouses and entire families who have been diagnosed with sleep apnea.
Once a person is diagnosed with sleep apnea, they are explained the consequences of not being treated and the benefits of being treated. They also are taught how to use a continuous positive airway pressure mask.
The therapy is a nasal or full-face mask held in place with small straps. The mask is connected to a small air pump that delivers a stream of low pressured air to the upper airway.
For more information about the KCH Sleep Center, call 574-372-5889 or visit www.kch.com[[In-content Ad]]
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Kosciusko Community Hospital expanded its sleep lab in September by adding two more rooms to its sleep center to accommodate the growing needs of diagnosing sleep apnea in the county.
Another addition is the sleep center added to its apnea testing hours.
"The testing during the day is geared to patients who work third shift and cannot come in for a sleep test at night," said Dr. Manuel Cervoni, KCH sleep center medical director.
Sleep apnea is caused by a blockage of airway when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep, Cervoni said.
The KCH Sleep Center opened in 2003 and has seen an increase in patients needing sleep apnea testing since the center opened, according to Dreama Lozier, KCH sleep center manager.
"The expansion was to meet patient's needs because we were booked out two months in advance for sleep tests and needed more rooms and daytime hours for sleep apnea testing," Lozier said.
Lozier said the center conducts approximately 500 sleep studies a year for children as young as 4, with the oldest sleep study patient being 90 years old.
The majority of the patients who receive sleep testing at KCH come from Kosciusko, Whitley and Wabash counties.
Patients are required to be referred to by a physician before undergoing a sleep apnea study.
People who undergo sleep studies often have symptoms of not being able to sleep due to excessive snoring and not breathing well when sleeping, Lozier said.
Each of the four sleep rooms at the sleep lab has the capability of running a polysomnogram, a multiple sleep latency test and continuous positive airway pressure therapy.
A polysomnogram is an overnight sleep study that measures the activity of the brain, heart and movement of the muscles and eyes. Sensors are put on the patient's head, face, chest and legs to monitor their breathing, brain activity, heart rate and leg movements.
The multiple sleep latency test measures how long it takes for a person to fall asleep during the day.
Following a polysomnogram, the patient may be diagnosed with sleep apnea.
"Some people with sleep apnea may be able to sleep at night, but they are not getting quality sleep," Lozier said.
Each study is recorded on a computer using a sleep program. The studies are then scored and sent to the sleep physician for interpretation.
Lozier said a normal sleep pattern does not have a gap in breathing, but people with sleep apnea have significant gaps in their sleeping pattern.
The most severe cases are when a person stops breathing 800 times a night, but is not that common at the sleep center, Lozier said.
"If a person stops breathing 30 times per hour when sleeping, they should consult their physician," Lozier said.
A continuous positive airway pressure study is conducted.
Sleep technicians can tell after the first night of tests if a person has sleep apnea by the patient's breathing patterns, Lozier said.
Although sleep apnea is not generally hereditary, Lozier said she has seen spouses and entire families who have been diagnosed with sleep apnea.
Once a person is diagnosed with sleep apnea, they are explained the consequences of not being treated and the benefits of being treated. They also are taught how to use a continuous positive airway pressure mask.
The therapy is a nasal or full-face mask held in place with small straps. The mask is connected to a small air pump that delivers a stream of low pressured air to the upper airway.
For more information about the KCH Sleep Center, call 574-372-5889 or visit www.kch.com[[In-content Ad]]
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