Manila, Philippines, Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA)- The Philippine General Hospital (PGH) has reopened its Sleep Laboratory Services using the Philips Alice 6 LDx Diagnostic sleep system. Advances in medical technology, and appropriate diagnosis and treatment will be accessible to patients affected with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) at an affordable price.
To assure the quality of the studies, PGH will use one of the latest video polysomnography (Alice-6) in the country, a computerized sleep-wake and physiological monitoring system. With 55 channels, it allows a complete EEG examination to investigate seizures, multiple sleep latency tests and the usual diagnostic or titration studies. It meets the polysomnographic specifications of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and comes with a video acquisition system to document sleep parasomnias and seizure episodes.
The system, donated by the Green Cross-Jesus Co Ay Tian Foundation, is one of the most advanced machines available in the Philippines obtained through Respicare Enterprises. It facilitates diagnosis and treatment modification during one session. Philips also has a variety of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines – the machines used to treat OSA – which are more affordable.
As a seldom-discussed, under-diagnosed condition, OSA is characterized by repeated interruptions in breathing throughout the sleep cycle and prevents oxygen from reaching the lungs1. Symptoms of OSA include choking or gasping for air during sleep, loud and persistent snoring and excessive daytime fatigue and poor concentration during the day. If left untreated, sleep apnea can have serious short and long-term health risks including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and high blood pressure. In a recent survey conducted by Philips, even after being diagnosed, 65% of those who reported having sleep apnea have either never used or are no longer using sleep apnea therapy to treat their disease2.
