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→Definition Central/Mixed/Complex Apnea
* Medical condition-induced central sleep apnea. Several medical conditions may give rise to central sleep apnea of the non-Cheyne-Stokes variety.
* Idiopathic (primary) central sleep apnea. The cause of this uncommon type of central sleep apnea isn't known.
=== Complex sleep apnea ===
Complex sleep apnea is the term used to describe a form of sleep disordered breathing in which repeated central apneas (>5/hour) persist or emerge when obstructive events are extinguished with positive airway pressure (PAP) and for which there is not a clear cause for the central apneas such as narcotics or systolic heart failure. The driving forces in the pathophysiology are felt to be ventilator instability associated oscillation in PaCO2 arterial partial pressure of Carbon Dioxide, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) related increased CO2 carbon dioxide elimination, and activation of airway and pulmonary stretch receptors triggering these central apneas. The prevalence ranges from 0.56% to 18% with no clear predictive characteristics as compared to simple obstructive sleep apnea. Prognosis is similar to obstructive sleep apnea. The central apnea component in most patients on followup using CPAP therapy, has resolved. For those with continued central apneas on simple CPAP therapy, other treatment options include bilevel PAP, adaptive servo-ventilation, permissive flow limitation and/or drugs.
=== Diagnosis of Central Apnea ===
They represent different degrees of similar events. All of these may be disruptive.
While Central Hypopneas are important in diagnosing Central.Mixed.Complex apnea they are not monitored in most Sleep Studies.
== Charts identifying Central Hypopneas ==
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