Prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing in Egyptian Railway drivers

Abstract

Sleep Apnea Syndrome, a complex entity, insufficiently known and therefore underdiagnosed. which is characterized by: (1) the complete interruption (apnea) or the reduction of the respiratory flow (hypopnea) during sleep time. Apnea is defined as the complete arrest of the respiratory flow over a period of 10 seconds or more, while hypopnea is defined as: >50% reduction in breathing amplitude, or <50% in breathing amplitude from the baseline flow if associated with: (1) an oxygen desaturation (SaO2) level of at least 3%, or with (2) at least one micro arousal during sleep time. According to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSDII), there are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central and mixed.