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MEDICAL TERMS
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Apnea / Hypopnea index (AHI) is an index of severity that combines apneas and hypopneas. Combining them both gives an overall severity of sleep apnea including sleep disruptions and desaturations. This is calculated by dividing the number of apneas and hypopneas by the number of hours of sleep.
(AHI values are typically categorized as 5-15 Mild, 15-30 Moderate, and above 30 listed as Severe.)
Apnea index (Al) - A measure of the severity of sleep apnea; the number of apnea events per hour.
Apnea - Literally means “no breath”; the cessation of airflow at the nostrils and mouth for at least 10 seconds.
Oxygen Saturation - measure of oxygen carried by hemoglobin in the blood. Normal values 90% - 100%.
Hypoxemia - abnormal lack of oxygen in the blood in the arteries.
Hypopnea - shallow breathing in which the air flow in and out of the airway is less than half of normal -- usually associated with oxygen desaturation.
Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN) - certification by a physician that the prescribed item(s) is/are medically indicated, reasonable and necessary with reference to the standards of medical practice and treatment of a patient’s condition.
Sleep Apnea - cessation of breathing for 10 or more seconds during sleep.
RDI - The respiratory disturbance index is similar to the apnea-hypopnea index, however, it also includes respiratory events that do not technically meet the definitions of apnas or hypopneas, but do disrupt sleep. RDi = (RERA + Hypopnea + apnea) / tst (in hours).
Obstructed Sleep Apnea (OSA) - absence of airflow and respiratory effort; apnea caused by a blockage of the airway.
Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)- absence of airflow and respiratory effort; apnea caused by irregularity in the brain’s control of breathing. — This cannot be treated with an oral appliance.
Hypoxia - deficiency of oxygen reaching the tissues of the body.
REM sleep, rapid eye movement sleep - sleep characterized by the active brain waves, flitting motions of the eyes, and weakness of the muscles; most dreaming occurs in this stage, which accounts for about 20% of sleep in adults.