A randomized, crossover trial of one night of oxygen therapy for obstructive sleep apnea in patients with fibrotic interstitial lung disease.

Background And Objective: There is no satisfactory treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) because of poor tolerance of positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy. Supplemental oxygen therapy has been shown to reduce hypoxemia and is well tolerated in patients with ILD. However, little is known about the effect of nocturnal oxygen supplementation (NOS) on OSA in patients with ILD. In this study, we evaluated one night of oxygen therapy in ILD patients with OSA.

Methods: Forty-one patients with fibrotic ILD and OSA were randomized to receive supplemental oxygen or air for one night each in a crossover design separated by a washout period of one week. Polysomnography was performed, and sleep-disordered breathing, nocturnal desaturation, sleep architecture, and cardiovascular reactions were monitored.

Results: During nights with sham oxygen, the median (interquartile range) apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 14.1/h (10.4/h-24.1/h). The percentage of patients in the N3 sleep stage (N3%) was 19.5% (14.0-31.2%). NOS significantly decreased the AHI by a median of 9.3/h (95% CI, 7.6/h-14.4/h; P < 0.001), increased N3% by 4.4% (95% CI, 0.3-10.1%; P = 0.049), and lowered the sleep stage change index by 1.6/h (95% CI, 0.0/h-4.8/h; P = 0.036). NOS improved the oxygen desaturation index (ODI) by -8.8/h (95% CI, -13.4/h to -5.9/h; P < 0.001) and the mean SpO by 3.0% (95% CI, 2.6-4.5%; P < 0.001). The mean heart rate during sleep was reduced with the NOS; however, total sleep time and nocturnal blood pressure did not change.

Conclusions: In patients with OSA and ILD, one night of oxygen therapy significantly improved sleep-disordered breathing, sleep architecture, nocturnal oxygenation, and heart rate. NOS may be a therapeutic option for ILD patients with OSA.