Citation: BMJ Case Reports. 2015 April
Author: Lagan J, Saravanan P
Abstract: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSAS) affects 4% of men and 2% of women aged 30-65 years. It is diagnosed in the presence of excessive daytime sleepiness and an apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) of ≥5 on polysomnography. Rhythm disturbances are common in OSAS and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been shown to be beneficial. We present a case of a patient with obesity, atrial fibrillation with fast ventricular response, significant nocturnal pauses (3.9 s) and tachycardiomyopathy. A polysomnography confirmed severe OSAS (AHI=64.25). CPAP improved bradycardia and allowed for the introduction of β-blockers. Subsequent Holter monitoring revealed better rate control with the longest pause of 2 s and the patient's left ventricular systolic function improved. CPAP prevented our patient from invasive treatment, allowed for rate control and improvement of tachycardiomyopathy. With such a high prevalence of OSAS, clinicians should be aware that CPAP may aid arrhythmia control.
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