Sleep Review back issues from May 2006:
Is sleep un-American?(editor's message)
May 01, 2006; ... As Americans, we are masters of stretching more use out of every day. From the invention of the light bulb to the introduction of the oh-so-addictive Blackberry, we make every second count. After all, to us, "time is money." While other cultures take 2-hour lunches and siestas during the ...
View from behind the mask: a patient's perspective on what sleep medicine professionals are doing well and what they could do better.(guest editorial)
May 01, 2006; ... It is always fun to be the bearer of good news. I have been asked to write, from a patient's perspective, about what sleep medicine is doing well and where it could improve. Being a sleep disordered breathing patient is rarely easy. I was once a CPAP failure. When I was ...
Sleep and obesity conference draws leading experts.(news)(National Sleep Foundation)
May 01, 2006 ... Exceeding the expectations of the organizers, the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) Sleep and Obesity Conference gathered more than 250 attendees in Washington, DC, in March for a 2-day series of lectures. "We were very pleased at the range of experts that attended, including ...
NSF 2006 poll resonates in media.(news)(National Sleep Foundation)(Survey)
May 01, 2006 ... In March, the 2006 National Sleep Foundation (NSF) poll made news both nationally and internationally as large media outlets, including CNN and the Associated Press, reported its findings that teenagers across the United States are losing out on quality of life because of a lack of sleep ....
BRPT swears in new president.(news)(Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006 ... Bonnie Robertson, CRT, RPSGT, recently assumed her position as president of the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT), having been named president-elect last year. Robertson is currently vice president of clinical operations for REM Medical Corp in Seattle. She has ...
Poor sleep practices hurting Americans.(news)
May 01, 2006 ... A report released by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies on the status of academic sleep research and sleep medicine in the United States outlines how sleep deprivation and sleep disorders are having damaging effects on the health and performance of tens of millions ...
Near-death experience and sleep link found.(news)
May 01, 2006 ... A study in the April 11 issue of Neurology suggests that near-death experiences can be explained by looking into the sleep systems of individuals who have reported these episodes. According to the study, people who have had near-death experiences often have different arousal systems ...
Children behave and sleep better after tonsillectomy.(news)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006 ... A research paper published online in the April issue of the journal Pediatrics supports previous observations of a link between children's sleep-related breathing problems--such as snoring and apneas--and daytime behavior problems. On the whole, the 78 children in the study who had their ...
NSF fights for federal sleep research.(news)(National Sleep Foundation)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006 ... The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) has submitted testimony to the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee asking for an increase in funding for the Department of Health and Human Services. According to NSF, its representatives ...
Obesity-sleep link found in kids.(news)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006 ... The less a child sleeps, the more likely he or she is to become overweight, according to researchers from Universite Laval's Faculty of Medicine in an article published in the March 14 online edition of the International Journal of Obesity. The risk of becoming overweight is 3.5 times ...
AASM launches education campaign.(news)(American Acadamy of Sleep Medicine)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006 ... The American Acadamy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recently launched a two-part CPAP and OSA public education campaign that aims to provide accurate information about these subjects through Internet-based resources. The campaign, CPAP Central, can be found at www.sleepeducation.com/cpapcentral ....
Sleep review's new online look.(news)(www.sleepreviewmag.com)(Website overview)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006 ... If you have been enjoying the free online articles archive, resources list, and Expert Insight features on Sleep Review's Web site, www.sleepreviewmag.com, you will really like our next step. In May, we relaunched our Web site to offer an even better online experience for our readers. If ...
More studies show OSA treatment benefits heart.(news)(obstructive sleep apnea)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006 ... Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have enlarged and thickened hearts that pump less effectively, but the heart abnormalities improve with CPAP use, according to a study in the April 4, 2006, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. "Not only are the ...
Severe SDB patients have high odds of abnormal heart rhythms.(news)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006 ... In related news, a study appearing in the April 15 issue of American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine states that patients with severe sleep disordered breathing ...
Space sleep studies set to lift off.(industry news)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006 ... Maintaining proper sleep is critical during space missions, especially since astronauts often suffer from poor sleep quality and insomnia during their time in orbit. A new study is aiming to provide information on outer space sleep that may lead to better rest for astronauts. ...
Jazz pharmaceuticals supports narcolepsy network.(industry news)(www.narcolepsynetwork.org)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006 ... Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Palo Alto, Calif, is partnering with the Narcolepsy Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public awareness of narcolepsy and other sleep disorders. Through support from Jazz Pharmaceuticals, the Narcolepsy Network is launching its first-ever ...
Study shows ramelteon reduces sleep latency.(industry news)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006 ... Results of a subanalysis from a Phase III clinical study, presented at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, showed that ROZEREM[TM] (ramelteon) significantly reduced the time it took adults with chronic insomnia to fall asleep. In this placebo-controlled analysis, ...
Progressive medical launches educational web site.(industry news)(www.hesnores.org)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006 ... In an effort to respond to the growing problem of sleep apnea and other sleep disordered breathing issues, Progressive Medical, Carlsbad, Calif, spent the last 6 months developing a research-based Web site, www.hesnores.org, to ...
Callidus and The Siesta Group join forces.(industry news)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006 ... Callidus LLC, Del Mar, Calif, and The Siesta Group, Vienna, Austria, have formed a partnership to better serve the sleep medicine field. "We are convinced that our services and products together create an optimized and complete sleep lab solution, which the ...
Restore Medical Inc.(Movers and Shakers)(appointment of Christopher Geyen)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006 ... St Paul, Minn-based Restore Medical Inc named 12-year financial management veteran Christopher Geyen, CPA, as its first chief financial officer. Restore ...
Syntech Solutions.(Movers and Shakers)(appointment of Patrick Sorenson)(Brief article)
May 01, 2006 ... Syntech Solutions, Rockford, Ill, hired Patrick Sorenson, MA/RPSGT, as their new director of education. Sorenson will support the needed growth and education needs of the sleep ...
Mind-body connection: a young boy's behavior and school performance improve after treatment with CPAP.(case report)(continuous positive airway pressure)
May 01, 2006; ... A 5-year-old boy was evaluated in a local sleep center for loud snoring at night and daytime hyperactivity. The mother stated that even though the child had undergone tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, he was still having apneas. The patient was slightly obese, fatigued, and lethargic during ...
Testing under the influence: today's sleep-inducing medications reduce the risk of a patient not sleeping enough hours in the laboratory for a valid polysomnogram, but selecting when pharmacologic help is appropriate is not a simple decision.(Cover story)
May 01, 2006; ... Whether medicating patients undergoing a polysomnogram is appropriate is a question with a long history in the sleep medicine field. Pharmaceuticals that help patients fall asleep faster or stay asleep can ensure that technicians will be able to record enough hours of sleep for accurate ...
A commitment to helping children: Newton-Wellesley Hospital is one of only three Boston-area facilities that maintain a sleep laboratory specifically designed for treating the unique needs of infants through teens.
May 01, 2006; ... Imagine that your next patient had neurological or congenital problems, was on a ventilator, weighed less than 10 pounds, and came with a set of anxious parents watching your every move. Treating someone so fragile can be a scary scenario, but it is not an uncommon one for the technicians ...
A new approach on insomnia: using a "somniaxis" when diagnosing insomnia can help guide current pharmacologic treatment of this common but often hard-to-resolve disorder.
May 01, 2006; ... Chronic insomnia is a major public health problem affecting millions of individuals, along with their families and communities. Little is known about the mechanisms, causes, clinical course, comorbidities, and consequences of chronic insomnia. (1) So begins the conclusion of the ...
Created unequal: comparing auto-adjust nasal CPAP devices' responses to simulated breathing patterns reveals that products have changed more over time than many clinicians suspect.
May 01, 2006; ... Sleep medicine is a rapidly evolving field, especially in the area of treatment technologies. New sleep therapy products enter the market quickly and are accepted by sleep therapy professionals quickly. In many cases, however, there are few standards for the development of these new ...
Respironics.(Manufacturers Respond)
May 01, 2006; ... Respironics: We agree with Eiken and McCoy that the technologies used in the treatment of sleep disordered breathing are increasingly competitive and progress rapidly. Independent, objective evaluation of any medical product is quintessential to patient safety and positive patient ...
ResMed.(Manufacturers Respond)
May 01, 2006 ... ResMed: One of the major challenges that health care professionals face in treating sleep apnea patients is ensuring that patients are compliant with their therapy. Noncompliance creates health risks for patients and lost opportunities for businesses. Consequently, new insights on the ...
Puritan Bennett.(Manufacturers Respond)
May 01, 2006; ... Puritan Bennett: We commend the authors for their role in the evaluation of new and improved technology for sleep apnea therapy treatment. We also feel the authors raise appropriate questions and encourage clinicians to consider important clinical factors prior to choosing any device. In ...
Heated humidification today: the evolution of humidification in CPAP therapy means OSA treatment is catching up with human respiratory needs and compliance is likely improving.
May 01, 2006; ... Humidification of the respiratory tract has been critically important to vertebrate physiology since the first tetrapods (eg, Dipnoiformes or "lungfish") began gulping air by buccal breathing. (1) Numerous complex physiologic mechanisms exist in order for terrestrial or air-breathing ...
Sleep deprivation on the road: sleep medicine has a role to play in educating the public about the dangers of drowsy driving.
May 01, 2006; ... Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living ... Too bad it doesn't exist anymore. We now live in a 24-hour society, and for most of us, less and less of those 24 hours is devoted to sleep. Sleep deprivation has become a way of life in the modern world, and its negative impacts ...
Word of mouth: the AASM's new practice parameters for oral appliance therapy opens opportunities for the field of dental sleep medicine.
May 01, 2006; ... Sleep disordered breathing (snoring and obstructive sleep apnea) affects tens of millions of people worldwide. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) alone may afflict as many as 17% of Americans (1) and is expected to approach 20% in the next few years due to the increase in obesity. Over the past ...
Sweet dreams, dangerous outcomes: can sleep medicine play a role in controlling the nation's diabetes epidemic?
May 01, 2006; ... Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an increasingly recognized condition in patients with diabetes. Although no prospective studies have been performed to determine whether diabetes is a cause of OSA, cross-sectional analyses have confirmed that OSA is more prevalent in diabetic patients than ...
The sleepless sex? Multiple factors make insomnia a particular concern for female patients.
May 01, 2006; ... Sleep clinicians and researchers are increasingly recognizing that insomnia and comorbid depression are linked conditions, and this has special implications for women who are at a significantly greater risk than men for both disorders. Women with chronic insomnia are at a higher risk for ...
Healthy sleep and healthy births: research shows treating sleep disordered breathing in pregnant women may safely reduce the danger of preeclampsia.
May 01, 2006; ... My interest in sleep disorders and pregnancy began when, during a monthly meeting, I asked my coworker and fellow sleep technologist Kelsey how her pregnancy was going. "Fine," she said. "Things are good." Then someone asked how her sleep was and she started to laugh and said, "What ...
Is the RPSGT credential for you? Applications for the credential are up, and the certification's administrators are working to make the examination more accessible.(registered polysomnographic technologist )
May 01, 2006; ... An increasing number of sleep medicine technologists, respiratory therapists, and electroneurodiagnostics technicians are finding that the registered polysomnographic technologist (RPSGT) credential is a way to add sizzle, salary increases, and satisfaction to their careers. Applications ...
Ratting on the competition: be careful or the trap you spring could snare you instead.
May 01, 2006; ... As if health care was not competitive enough, you may find that some providers try to get ahead by playing on--or over--the edge of the law. Should you try to level the field by turning them in? Consider the following hypothetical situation. Our hero, Jim, manages a six-bed ...
Nasal mask.(product profiles)
May 01, 2006 ... Respironics Inc, Murrysville, Pa, announces the release of the ComfortLite[TM] 2 minimal-contact nasal mask. The ComfortLite features several enhancements designed to improve patient outcomes, including multiple mask cushion options and a headgear design ...
Gastric reflux monitoring.(product profiles)
May 01, 2006 ... Respiratory Technology Corp (Restech), San Diego, has launched its Dx-Sleep Adapter[TM], a new accessory for its recently released Dx-pH Measurement System[TM]. Restech's "plug & play" adapter allows sleep medicine professionals to track their patients' airway pH events in real time on ...
Full-face mask.(product profiles)
May 01, 2006 ... The new 7600 Vmask is an Oro-Nasal (full-face) CPAP/bilevel mask from Hans Rudolph Inc (HRI), Kansas City, Mo, which can be tightened or loosened in the middle of the night without affecting the integrity of the leak-free seal because there is no hard frame or thin seal. All five sizes of ...
Air purifier.(product profiles)
May 01, 2006 ... Creating an original technique for providing nighttime allergy sufferers with allergen-free air, Halo Innovations, Minneapolis, has unveiled the PureNight[TM] Sleep Air Purifier. This product is a purifying system that ...
Plug-free CPAP.(product profiles)(continuous positive airway pressure)
May 01, 2006 ... Hoffman Laboratories LLC, Chatsworth, Calif, has introduced a wearable CPAP device for the treatment of sleep apnea. The lightweight BreatheX[TM] CPAP device (patent pending) powers 1 to 2 nights of therapy with a built-in, rechargeable battery. This eliminates the need for BreatheX CPAP ...
Pediatric PAP system.(product profiles)
May 01, 2006 ... ResMed Corp, San Diego, has announced the upcoming launch of the first positive airway pressure (PAP) system cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for hospital and home treatment of OSA and respiratory insufficiency in pediatric patients who are 7 years and older and weigh ...