SLEEP LABORATORY
In-charge : Dr. Rajnish Gupta
A Sleep Lab has been fully operational within the Institute since May 2004. A chest Specialist-in-charge looks after the various activities of the department and is assisted in the work by trained staff.
The Sleep Lab is diagnosing patients with sleep related breathing disorders. All suspected cases of sleep disordered breathing (like obstructive sleep apnoea etc.), referred from the out patient department of the Institute or from the other hospitals, are enrolled in the Sleep Clinic run every week. Detailed findings of their history and the general examination are recorded in a specially designed proforma. Relevant investigations are carried out and necessary instructions given to them. In order that they get acquainted with the Sleep Lab, they are made to visit the place at least once before the conduct of the study. On the scheduled date, an overnight polysomnography is conducted in the sleep lab on a Compumedics E-Series software. Following the recording, it is analyzed (both automatically and manually), interpreted and reported with specific recommendations.
All diagnosed cases of sleep disordered breathing are taken up for the requisite Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) or Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BIPAP) titrations simultaneously with a polysomnography. Following the titration, the study is analyzed (both automatically and manually), interpreted and reported with specific recommendations including the advice to use an optimal pressure during sleep. Subsequently, these cases are called for the follow-up sleep studies and given appropriate instructions. Annually, about 40 to 60 sleep studies are being performed including the CPAP/ BIPAP titrations.
Training and Research
The Sleep Lab has been teaching and training the doctors and the staff of the Institute in the diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation of sleep related breathing disorders. The beneficiaries have included the postgraduate DNB students, senior residents and the other doctors and staff of the Institute. Lectures and journal clubs are organized for the residents as per their academic schedule to cover the subject in the teaching curriculum.
Teaching and training on the subject has been carried out for the benefit of the trainees from the other Institutes as well. Last year, a 3-day Sleep training was given to two DNB trainees from Ispat General Hospital, SAIL, Rourkela, Orissa from 14th to 16th April 2008. A 10-day training course on “Conduct of a sleep study” was also carried out for two trainees including one technical staff of Himalayan Institute, Dehradun from 22nd to 31st May 2008. Lectures were delivered and a workshop was conducted by the In-charge at the 4th Refresher Course in Psychiatry organized by Dept. of Psychiatry, S.N. Medical College in Agra from 8th to 9th September 2007 for the benefit of trainees.
Sleep Lab has been involved in the conduct of research projects as well. A DNB research project entitled “To determine the pattern of sleep disordered breathing in obese Indian subjects” was completed last year. Another DNB research project entitled “To determine the existence and pattern of sleep disordered breathing in non-obese adult Indian snorers” is being pursued during the current year.