Treatment of central sleep apnea in adults: an AASM clinical practice guideline

Treatment of central sleep apnea in adults: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline

Introduction: This guideline establishes clinical practice recommendations for treatment of central sleep apnea (CSA) syndromes in adults.

Methods: The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) commissioned a task force of experts in sleep medicine to develop recommendations and assign strengths based on a systematic review of the literature and an assessment of the evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology. The task force provided a summary of the relevant literature and the certainty of evidence, the balance of benefits and harms, patient values and preferences, and resource use considerations that support the recommendations. The AASM Board of Directors approved the final recommendations.

Good Practice Statement: The following good practice statement is based on expert consensus, and its implementation is necessary for the appropriate and effective management of patients with CSA. The optimal approach to CSA treatment should incorporate clinical features, comorbid conditions, and polysomnographic findings in an individualized manner. Specifically, clinicians must prioritize optimizing therapy for the conditions contributing to central apneas and improving patient-reported outcomes rather than solely focusing on eliminating disordered breathing events. Once therapy for CSA has been initiated, persistence of central respiratory events should prompt re-evaluation of the underlying risk factors and consideration of alternative treatment options.

Recommendations: The following recommendations are intended as a guide for clinicians in choosing a specific treatment for adults with CSA. Each recommendation statement is assigned a strength (“Strong” or “Conditional”). A “Strong” recommendation (ie, “We recommend …”) is one that clinicians should follow under most circumstances. A “Conditional” recommendation (ie, “We suggest …”) is one that clinicians should offer to most patients if clinically appropriate. Some recommendations include remarks that provide additional context to guide clinicians with the implementation of this recommendation.


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