The effect of weight loss on OSA severity and position dependence in the bariatric population.

Background: The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of positional obstructive sleep apnea (POSA) in patients undergoing bariatric surgery and to evaluate the effect of weight loss brought about by bariatric surgery on POSA. Furthermore, the authors investigated whether body mass index (BMI), neck circumference, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), and age are predictors for POSA.

Method: A retrospective cohort study was conducted with data collected from patients who were screened for OSA pre-bariatric surgery and completed a follow-up polysomnography post bariatric surgery from August 2008 to November 2012.

Hypothermia after CPR prolongs conduction times of somatosensory evoked potentials.

Background: To investigate the effect of mild hypothermia on conduction times and amplitudes of median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) in patients after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Methods: Patients treated with hypothermia after CPR who underwent SEP recording during hypothermia and after rewarming were selected from a prospectively collected database. Latencies and amplitudes of N9 (peripheral conduction time, PCT), N13, and N20 were measured.

The sleep position trainer: a new treatment for positional obstructive sleep apnoea.

Background: Positional obstructive sleep apnoea (POSA), defined as a supine apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) twice or more as compared to the AHI in the other positions, occurs in 56 % of obstructive sleep apnoea patients. Positional therapy (PT) is one of several available treatment options for these patients. So far, PT has been hampered by compliance problems, mainly because of the usage of bulky masses placed in the back.

Reducing health risk assigned to organic emissions from a chemical weapons incinerator.

Organic emissions from a chemical weapons incinerator have been characterized with an improved set of analytical methods to reduce the human health risk assigned to operations of the facility. A gas chromatography/mass selective detection method with substantially reduced detection limits has been used in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared microscopy to improve the speciation of semi-volatile and non-volatile organics emitted from the incinerator. The reduced detection limits have allowed a significant reduction in the assumed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and aminobiphenyl (ABP) emission rates used as inputs to the human health risk assessment for the incinerator.

Evaluation of a new simple treatment for positional sleep apnoea patients.

Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome is a common clinical problem. Positional sleep apnoea syndrome, defined as having a supine apnoea-hypopnoea index of twice or more compared to the apnoea-hypopnoea index in the other positions, occurs in 56% of obstructive sleep apnoea patients. A limited number of studies focus on decreasing the severity of sleep apnoea by influencing sleep position.