What We Treat
Conditions & Treatments
Respiratory Care + Sleep Medicine (RCSM) delivers best-in-class diagnosis and treatment for a wide spectrum of respiratory and sleep conditions, disorders and diseases, including:
Respiratory Care Medicine
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer among both men and women in the United States, with cigarette smoking being the number one risk factor. We not only diagnose lung cancer, but we also participate in lung cancer screening programs to help with detection of lung cancer prior to its symptoms. These programs have shown to improve outcomes significantly. For those patients who do have a cancer diagnosis, we work closely with our oncology and radiation oncology colleagues to come up with an aggressive treatment program.
Sleep Medicine
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is typically characterized by chronic daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, frequent awakenings at night (including multiple trips to the bathroom), and the sensation of inadequate sleep. With OSA, breathing is briefly and repeatedly interrupted during sleep. “Apnea” refers to a pause in breathing that lasts 10 or more seconds. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat or the upper airway fail to keep the airway open. This results in closure or obstruction of the airway despite multiple attempts to breathe. This interruption in airflow causes decrease in oxygen saturations and subsequent awakenings. The brain triggers the patient to get more oxygen by taking the patient out of deep sleep and waking them briefly to get a good, deep breath. Obstructive sleep apnea can be associated with diseases such as coronary artery disease; cardiac arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation; stroke; and high blood pressure.
Central sleep apnea is caused by interruption in the brain’s drive to breathe. This can frequently be associated with diseases such as heart failure and stroke. Unrecognized central sleep apnea will lead to progressive heart and brain disease if left untreated.