Specialty Hub
Sleep Medicine
Breathing comes apart in sleep. This hub covers the sleep-disordered breathing the respiratory therapist sees most — obstructive apnea and its collapsible airway, central apnea and Cheyne-Stokes when the drive itself pauses, and obesity hypoventilation where daytime carbon dioxide climbs. It teaches the polysomnogram and how its events are scored, the AHI severity that defines disease, and the CPAP and BiPAP titration that treats it.
Guides
From the sleep study to the apneas it scores, and the PAP therapy that treats them.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Pathophysiology & Management
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) causes repetitive upper-airway collapse during sleep, producing intermittent hypoxemia, cortical arousals, and serious cardiovascular consequences. Learn the pathophysiology, AHI severity criteria, STOP-BANG screening, and CPAP-first management strategy.
Polysomnography & Sleep Study Essentials
Polysomnography (PSG) is the gold-standard overnight multichannel recording used to diagnose sleep-disordered breathing. Learn how channels are scored, how to classify events, and what the AHI, RDI, and REI mean in practice.
CPAP & BiPAP Titration
How respiratory therapists titrate CPAP, APAP, and bilevel (BiPAP) for obstructive sleep apnea — AASM protocol, interface selection, adherence targets, and common pitfalls.
Central Sleep Apnea & Cheyne-Stokes Respiration
Central sleep apnea (CSA) occurs when the respiratory drive pauses — no effort, no airflow. Learn the key types, Cheyne-Stokes respiration in heart failure, ASV contraindications (SERVE-HF), and the RT's treatment priorities.
Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome (OHS)
Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is defined by obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m²), daytime chronic hypercapnia (awake PaCO₂ ≥45 mm Hg), and sleep-disordered breathing after other causes of hypoventilation have been excluded. Learn pathophysiology, ABG findings, PAP therapy priorities, and board exam pearls.
Interactive Practice
Practice Tools
Work the gas-exchange and oxygenation math behind sleep-disordered breathing — the daytime ABG that defines hypoventilation, the A–a gradient and minute ventilation behind hypercapnia, and nocturnal oxygen supply.
Clinical References
The AHI cutoffs and the PAP device-and-troubleshooting tables, ready to scan.
OSA Severity & Sleep Study Metrics
AHI severity classification, respiratory event definitions, key sleep study indices (AHI, RDI, REI, ODI), normal sleep architecture, and diagnostic thresholds for obstructive sleep apnea.
PAP Therapy Quick Reference
Quick-reference tables for PAP therapy modalities, mask interfaces, and troubleshooting — covering CPAP, APAP, BiPAP, BiPAP-ST, and ASV with pressure ranges and clinical indications.
Quick Charts
Obstructive vs central apnea, and the three PAP modalities, side by side.
Obstructive vs Central Sleep Apnea
Side-by-side comparison of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA) — mechanism, respiratory effort, snoring, causes, ABG findings, breathing-pattern clues, first-line therapy, and key pitfalls.
CPAP vs BiPAP vs APAP
Side-by-side comparison of CPAP, APAP, and BiPAP for sleep-disordered breathing — pressure profiles, pressure support, indications, common use cases, and key limitations in one quick-reference chart.
Suggested Learning Path
From reading the sleep study to titrating the PAP that treats it.
Related Specialties
Sleep-disordered breathing connects directly to these areas.