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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Sleep Sci
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1795145
Case Report

Altitude-Associated Central Apnea in Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy

Gustavo Adolfo Gaitan Quintero 
1   Sleep Medicine Center, Fundación Neumológica Colombiana, Bogota, Cundinamarca, Colombia
,
Leidy Paola Prada Romero 
1   Sleep Medicine Center, Fundación Neumológica Colombiana, Bogota, Cundinamarca, Colombia
,
Ana María González 
1   Sleep Medicine Center, Fundación Neumológica Colombiana, Bogota, Cundinamarca, Colombia
,
María Angélica Bazurto-Zapata 
1   Sleep Medicine Center, Fundación Neumológica Colombiana, Bogota, Cundinamarca, Colombia
› Author Affiliations Funding Source The author(s) received no financial support for the research.
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Abstract

Introduction At high altitudes, hypobaric hypoxia leads to central apneas in both healthy adults and patients with obstructive sleep apnea. This condition correlates with intermittent desaturation and disruption of sleep.

Materials and Methods The clinical case of a patient evaluated during a sleep medicine outpatient consultation at the Fundación Neumológica Colombiana (Bogotá, Colombia, 2,600 masl) is reported.

Case Study We present a 64-year-old male patient living in a high-altitude city, who was an aircrew member and was on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The patient had symptoms and central apneas only when he slept at high altitudes. Other causes of central apnea were ruled out, and these events were corrected with the administration of supplemental oxygen. Altitude-associated central apnea is a common disorder that can occur at altitudes higher than 1,600 m above sea level. Currently, the first-line treatments are acetazolamide and oxygen supplementation.

Conclusions Changes in altitude should be considered in patients with OSA in PAP therapy, as it can occur in many occupations and in recreational travels.

Keywords

PAP therapy - high-altitude periodic breathing - central apnea

Author Agreement Statement

We undersigned declare that this manuscript is original, has not been published before, and is not currently being considered for publication elsewhere. We confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed.




Publication History

Received: 14 February 2024

Accepted: 02 October 2024

Article published online:
07 March 2025

© 2025. Brazilian Sleep Association. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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Bibliographical Record
Gustavo Adolfo Gaitan Quintero, Leidy Paola Prada Romero, Ana María González, María Angélica Bazurto-Zapata. Altitude-Associated Central Apnea in Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy. Sleep Sci ; : s00441795145.
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1795145
 

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