The recently completed
“Guidelines for the Assessment and Management of
Patients with
Sleep Disorders” were launched
by the Minister for Health and Children, Ms.
Mary Harney
TD, on Monday February 1, 2010
in the Royal College of Physicians, Kildare
Street, Dublin.
Approximately 80 invited guests
were in attendance with representation from the
Department
of Health and Children,
Hospitals, Sleep Laboratories, and Clinical
Specialists in sleep
disorders. Other interested
stakeholders such as the Road Safety Authority
were also
represented and representatives
from television, radio and print media were also
present.
The President of the Irish Sleep
Society, Prof. Walter McNicholas from St.
Vincent’s
University Hospital introduced
the event and gave an overview of sleep
disorders with a
particular emphasis on
obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), which represents
the most frequent
sleep disorders treated in Irish
sleep clinics. He emphasised that sleep
disorders affect most
people at some stage in life.
Disorders such as OSA affect up to 100,000
people in Ireland and
represent an important factor in
premature deaths from heart disease and stroke.
Furthermore,
the daytime sleepiness
associated with OSA is a major contributing
factor to road traffic
accidents. Yet, the condition is
treatable by continuous positive airway pressure
(CPAP).
Prof. McNicholas stressed that
the objective of the guidelines is to facilitate
the development
of sleep disorders’
investigation and treatment facilities in
accordance with best practice
standards, and the initiative
has been strongly supported by patient support
groups such as the
Irish Sleep Apnoea Trust (ISAT).
The implementation of the guidelines represents
an
important component of a
National Strategy for sleep disorders.
Mr. Dan Smyth of ISAT spoke next
and strongly endorsed the guidelines on behalf
of his
association. He commented on the
inadequate clinical and funding resources
provided to Irish
patients with sleep disorders,
particularly those with OSA. While ISAT has
about 2,500
members, the great majority of
Irish OSA patients remain undiagnosed.
The Minister then addressed the
group and complimented the Society on the
quality and
professional appearance of the
Guidelines document. In launching the
guidelines, she
commented that the document was
presented in a user-friendly and easily readable
format.
She also expressed the hope that
the guidelines would be made available to the
widest
possible readership, including
general practitioners, other healthcare
professionals, and the
general public. Minister Harney
also expressed support for the need to diagnose
and treat
patients with sleep disorders.
In closing the formal part of
the meeting, Prof. McNicholas indicated that the
guidelines
document would be made available
on the Society website (
