Updates for the Sleep Lab
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Left to right, Respiratory Therapists John Chirico and Cally Adams.
The Sleep Lab is one of the quieter areas of the hospital; yet, this department sees over 1,000 patients each year. “We have three beds,” explains Polysomnographer Kamilla Akseer, “and they are occupied every single night.”
When people struggle with overall fatigue or breathing issues during the night, their Respirologist will refer them to a Sleep Lab, explains Tracy McCullough, Clinical Supervisor for Respirology at Niagara Health.
“The most common diagnosis we see is sleep apnea,” she says. “People stop breathing during their sleep and that wakes them up.” To determine whether a patient has sleep apnea and, if so, how severe it is, patients come to the Sleep Lab for an overnight stay, during which technicians collect a variety of data.
“We record brain activity with an EEG, which gives us information about the sleep stage the patient is in, we track the patient’s breathing and heart rate, and all of that information combined gives us a really good idea of what is going on for the patient when they go to sleep.”
All of that information gets collected in a so-called headbox, a crucial piece of equipment in the Sleep Lab. It attaches to the wall in each room and comes with a portable portion, the breakout box. “When these pieces break, it means that we cannot see a patient that night,” explains Tracy. With their old equipment reaching the end of life, the need for new and upgraded hard- and software was urgent.
“We want to be able to operate at full capacity at all times, because it’s about more than “just” a good night’s sleep. Left untreated, sleep apnea increases your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, for example, so we want to be able to see and diagnose people quickly.”
With the help of Niagara Health Foundation donors, the Sleep Lab recently replaced all three of its systems with state-of-the-art equipment, and the team could not be more grateful.
“I want donors to know that they save lives,” says Kamilla, who is in charge of analyzing the collected data and creating a report for the Sleep Respirologists. “It is so important for people to get sleep studies done. Sleep apnea is very treatable, but if people don’t know that they have it, it puts their lives at risk. We are grateful for the donations that allowed us to upgrade our equipment and operate at full capacity. Thank you to everyone who donates to the Niagara Health Foundation!”
Updates for the Sleep Lab
The Sleep Lab is one of the quieter areas of the hospital; yet, this department sees over 1,000 patients each year. “We have three beds,” explains Polysomnographer Kamilla Akseer, “and they are occupied every single night.”
When people struggle with overall fatigue or breathing issues during the night, their Respirologist will refer them to a Sleep Lab, explains Tracy McCullough, Clinical Supervisor for Respirology at Niagara Health.
“The most common diagnosis we see is sleep apnea,” she says. “People stop breathing during their sleep and that wakes them up.” To determine whether a patient has sleep apnea and, if so, how severe it is, patients come to the Sleep Lab for an overnight stay, during which technicians collect a variety of data.
“We record brain activity with an EEG, which gives us information about the sleep stage the patient is in, we track the patient’s breathing and heart rate, and all of that information combined gives us a really good idea of what is going on for the patient when they go to sleep.”
All of that information gets collected in a so-called headbox, a crucial piece of equipment in the Sleep Lab. It attaches to the wall in each room and comes with a portable portion, the breakout box. “When these pieces break, it means that we cannot see a patient that night,” explains Tracy. With their old equipment reaching the end of life, the need for new and upgraded hard- and software was urgent.
“We want to be able to operate at full capacity at all times, because it’s about more than “just” a good night’s sleep. Left untreated, sleep apnea increases your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, for example, so we want to be able to see and diagnose people quickly.”
With the help of Niagara Health Foundation donors, the Sleep Lab recently replaced all three of its systems with state-of-the-art equipment, and the team could not be more grateful.
“I want donors to know that they save lives,” says Kamilla, who is in charge of analyzing the collected data and creating a report for the Sleep Respirologists. “It is so important for people to get sleep studies done. Sleep apnea is very treatable, but if people don’t know that they have it, it puts their lives at risk. We are grateful for the donations that allowed us to upgrade our equipment and operate at full capacity. Thank you to everyone who donates to the Niagara Health Foundation!”
