OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY AND SLEEP MEDICINE FOR OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA MANAGEMENT

Abstract

OSA is a relatively widespread affliction, often misaddressed even though it has severe heart, lung, and brain impacts.  The model being studied involves the integration of otorhinolaryngology and sleep medicine in the treatment of moderate to severe OSA.  A mixed method experimental design was employed where 180 patients were randomly placed in three groups namely those that only utilized CPAP, the ones that only underwent surgical procedures and the ones that underwent both surgery and CPAP.  We considered the quantitative data such as Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI), the Oxygen Desaturation Index (ODI), and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) prior to and after the treatment during six months.  The findings indicated that combination therapy resulted in maximum reduction of ESS scores (mean change: 6.4, p < 0.001). The group of surgical interventions also showed a better adherence to surgery in the long term than CPAP alone.  The qualitative section entailed semi structured interviews to patients and doctors. These indicated the patients were attaining greater happiness, adhering to their treatment plans better, and believed that interdisciplinary coordination was beneficial.  Trilateralization of the data revealed that the most effective method to enhance the quality of treatment and pave the way to the positive experience of the patient is an integrative approach.  The paper concludes that changes should be implemented in the management of OSA so as to facilitate the collaborative efforts of specialists.  These findings demonstrate that the integration of otolaryngology and sleep medicine can happen at the clinical and operations level, and it can potentially transform the way how care should be given to the OSA patients.