Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Sleep Board Tip # 1

The new sleep boards are coming up in mid-November. Here is something that will probably appear on the exam:

Shy-Drager Syndrome ( a subset of Multiple System Atrophy) is a Parkinsonian syndrome with prominent autonomic failure.
Respiratory dysrhythmias during sleep are common in Multiple System Atrophy (and are even more common in Shy-Drager syndrome), especially NOCTURNAL STRIDOR, which can be fatal. This is a result of vocal cord dysfunction- Posterior Cricoarytenoid Muscles- the abductors of the vocal cords. Treatment includes obligatory cpap or tracheostomy. Respiratory dysrhythmias due to Shy-Drager syndrome can also result in nocturnal awakenings, sleep disruption, and hypersomnia.

(This info was covered during the AASM 2007 Chicago Board Review course)

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