[Therapeutic consequences of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome--results of drug, mechanical and surgical treatment].

The therapeutical strategy of the obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome depends on the differential diagnosis of the sleep disorder, the subjective complaints and the patients' individual cardiopulmonary risk profile. Basic requirements for a successful treatment are stepped concepts for therapy. Initial therapeutical methods are preventive measures such as adequate sleep hygiene, weight loss, and reduction of alcoholic intake. We investigated the effectiveness of following therapeutical methods: drug treatment, nasal CPAP therapy and surgical approach. We present the results of the first 151 treated patients aged between 15 and 88 years (mean: 50.8 +/- 11.5 SD). 20 patients with an apnoea index below 20 per hour were treated with theophylline. After 4 weeks with theophylline there were no significant changes in apnoea index, O2 saturation and snoring level. 24 patients themselves preferred the Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). 8 weeks after surgical approach we couldn't find significant changes in the apnoea index although 11 of these patients reported on a better sleep quality. 107 patients were treated with nasal CPAP. The effective CPAP pressures were between 6 and 14.5 mbar. Long term compliance with CPAP was studied in a survey of 70 patients who underwent a CPAP trial. After 6 months 97% were complaint, 17% of them additionally were using a humidifier. Our data show that effective therapy can be achieved with nCPAP objectively and subjectively. Other methods--theophylline and UPPP--are less successful. CPAP is likely to remain the first choice for treatment of sleep related breathing disorders and it should be applied more generously.