Detection of apneas during 24-hour ambulatory monitoring of ECG and respiration in chronic heart failure patients with Cheyne-Stokes breathing

Laboratory short-term respiratory monitoring detecting apnea occurrence has a clinical and prognostic role in patients with congestive heart failure. Long-term ambulatory recording of respiration might provide more extensive and specific information about the occurrence of abnormal patterns of breathing. Automatic detection of apneas and periodic breathing should permit an easy interpretation of respiratory signal. Ten patients with congestive heart failure underwent 24-hour recordings of ECG and respiration. We then compared four different methods for detection of apneas. Results were more satisfying for a technique based on amplitude demodulation, whose application permitted to quantify a high occurrence of abnormal respiratory patterns both at night- and day-time. Quantification of these abnormalities over a circadian period provides new relevant clinical information for diagnostic work-up, therapeutical management and follow-up of patients.