Avoiding adverse outcomes in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): development and implementation of a perioperative OSA protocol

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with postoperative airway obstruction, hypoxemia, cardiac arrhythmias, cardiorespiratory arrest, hypoxic encephalopathy, and death. Three cases highlighting important issues in patients with OSA are presented that occurred prior to and after implementation of an OSA protocol.