PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Hanneke Kievit
AU  - Ernst Lammers
AU  - Michiel Eijsvogel
AU  - Job van der Palen
TI  - Effectiveness of the Z-cushion in patients with positional obstructive sleep apnoea
AID  - 10.1183/23120541.sleepandbreathing-2017.P36
DP  - 2017 Apr 01
TA  - ERJ Open Research
PG  - P36
VI  - 3
IP  - suppl 1
4099  - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/3/suppl_1/P36.short
4100  - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/3/suppl_1/P36.full
SO  - erjor2017 Apr 01; 3
AB  - Background Not all patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can be treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or oral appliances. For patients with positional OSA, positional therapy (which prevents a supine position) is a therapeutic option.Aim and objectives To study the effectiveness of a body length cushion, the Z-cushion, in reducing apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) and supine sleeping time.Methods Open, randomized, controlled study in 54 adult patients with mild to moderate positional OSA. Patients were randomized to sleep with (intervention group) or without (control group) the Z-Cushion. A polygraphy was performed at baseline and repeated in both groups after one month, in case of the intervention group, while patients were sleeping with the Z-cushion. The primary study parameter was the apnea/hypopnea index per hour (AHI). Secondary parameters were supine sleeping time as percentage of total sleeping time (%sup), oxygen desaturation index (ODI) and sleepiness as measured by the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS).Results Patients using the Z-cushion showed significantly reduced AHI (Z-cushion: 11.9 at baseline to 7.7 at follow-up, p=0.043; control: 9.8 at baseline to 9.9 at follow-up) and %sup (Z-cushion: 38.1 to 17.2, p=0.004; control: 38.2 to 35.6 ) after a month with the Z-cushion. Mean ODI (control: 10.9/h to 11.7/h, Z-cushion: 11.9 to 10.3/h) and ESS (control: 10.9 to 10.2, Z-cushion: 10.4 to 8.3) were not significantly different, but showed a downward trend.Conclusion In patients with mild positional obstructive sleep apnea a simple change in body position with the Z-cushion, did show modest but significant effectiveness.