Let’s read an article a month –Feb. 21, 2020

Photo of the article’s first page.

Every month I try to read an open access article. After reading the article, I share the tittle and associated link with my followers. This is to encourage clinicians to reads articles, stay up to date and continue to grow.

The article I read on Friday was:

Bilateral hypoglossal nerve stimulation for treatment of adult obstructive sleep apnoea by Peter R. Eastwood et al.

Eur Respir J 2020 55:1901320; published ahead of print 2019, doi:10.1183/13993003.01320-2019 OPEN ACCESS ARTICLE http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/55/1/1901320?etoc

I am not here to endorse this technology or this approach to manage Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). I am learning about it and sharing it with you. It did open my eyes to another approach which apparently has been around for some time. I appreciated the innovations. Compliance with CPAP units, the current gold stands, is low. The authors do mention that, and I have personally witnessed it when I worked for a CPAP company (casually for around 2 years).

I don’t need to express my personal thoughts on this as the authors have done a great job of describing the technology (GEnio system), what’s make it unique, the limitation of the study, and also the opportunities it brings.

It is a small study, n=22, with few participants. There is no control group.

This approach did open up the discussion to devices that deliver bilateral stimulation of hypoglossal nerve, includes minimal incision, and lacks an implanted battery (p10).

What are your thoughts and take on this?