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Previous Volume 341:613-614 August 19, 1999 Number 8 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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To the Editor: The informative review of preoperative pulmonary evaluation by Dr. Smetana (March 25 issue)¹ omitted any reference to sleep apnea and its complications in the postoperative setting. Sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of acute upper-airway obstruction after extubation,² more severe postoperative oxygen desaturation than that in normal persons,³ and increased risks of atrial fibrillation⁴ and cardiorespiratory arrest,² even if the operation does not involve the upper airway.

A comprehensive preoperative evaluation should include simple questions about symptoms of sleep apnea: the presence of loud, habitual snoring, episodes of apnea witnessed by a bed partner, episodes . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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