Obstruction of the upper airways �?apnea �?�?partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2), �?partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood (PaCO2, also known as hypercapnia), which leads to:
In OSA, hypercapnia is usually absent when the patient is awake. This fact explains why arterial blood gases would be mostly normal in a patient with OSA. Therefore, this test is not useful for diagnosis.
Treatment
Upper airway modification
Description: surgical dilatation of the upper airway or neurostimulation of upper airway muscles
Procedures
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty: resection of the uvula and redundant retrolingual, soft palate, and tonsillar tissue
Other procedures include hypoglossal nerve stimulation, radiofrequency ablation of tongue and/or soft palate tissue, and palatal implants.