To determine the combined effect of increased subatmospheric upper airway pressure and withdrawal of phasic volume feedback from the lung on genioglossus muscle activity, the response of this muscle to intermittent nasal airway occlusion was studied in 12 normal adult males during sleep. Nasal occlusion at end expiration was achieved by inflating balloon-tipped catheters located within the port...

We recently showed respiratory-related coactivation of both extrinsic and intrinsic tongue muscles in the rat. Here, we test the hypothesis that intrinsic tongue muscles contribute importantly to changes in velopharyngeal airway volume. Spontaneously breathing anesthetized rats were placed in a MRI scanner. A catheter was placed in the hypopharynx and connected to a pressure source. Axial and s...

PURPOSE Sedatives must be carefully titrated for patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) as oversedation may lead to disastrous respiratory outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the relations between the effect-site concentration (Ce) of propofol and sedation and airway obstruction levels in patients with OSAHS. MATERIALS AND METHODS In 25 patients with OSAHS, seda...

IN OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA (OSA), REPETITIVE COLLAPSE OF THE UPPER AIRWAY DURING SLEEP RESULTS IN MULTIPLE EPISODES OF HYPOXEMIA AND subsequent repetitive arousals that fragment sleep. These events and the associated autonomic and neurohumoral disturbances are considered to lead to the many symptoms and signs of OSA and contribute to the long-term morbidity.1,2 The repetitive arousals are a dom...

To cite: Rastogi M, Dwivedi RC, Revannasiddaiah S, et al. BMJ Case Rep Published online: [please include Day Month Year] doi:10.1136/ bcr-2012-008504 DESCRIPTION A man had suffered trauma to the neck about two decades ago, for which he had undergone permanent tracheostomy. Over the years, the patient ignored repeated calls for reconstruction of his airway. The patient happened to be a chronic s...

STUDY OBJECTIVES To determine the patency of standard and modified Portex tracheostomy tubes inserted by the percutaneous dilatational technique. DESIGN Prospective observational study. SETTING Medical-surgical ICUs in a tertiary care community hospital. PATIENTS Medical-surgical ICU patients requiring tracheostomy. INTERVENTIONS Consecutive medical-surgical ICU patients requiring trach...

BACKGROUND Laryngeal fracture is a rare condition that can lead to significant problems with airway patency, voice production, and swallowing. Conflict in the literature exists regarding the most suitable way to manage this injury. CASE REPORT We present the case of a 29-year-old Caucasian man who sustained a displaced fracture of the thyroid cartilage due to blunt trauma. He reported no swal...

Lung volume dependence of pharyngeal airway patency suggests involvement of lung volume in pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea. We examined the structural interaction between passive pharyngeal airway and lung volume independent of neuromuscular factors. Static mechanical properties of the passive pharynx were compared before and during lung inflation in eight anesthetized and paralyzed pat...

We compared the effects of CO2 applied continuously and during expiration on laryngeal-receptor activity in paralyzed, artificially ventilated and nonparalyzed, spontaneously breathing cats by using an isolated larynx, artificially ventilated to approximate a normal respiratory cycle. The majority of quiescent negative-pressure and all cold receptors were excited by 5 and 9% CO2 applied both co...