Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have a high prevalence of nocturnal teeth grinding, according to new research presented at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians. Investigators found that nearly 1 in 4 patients with OSA suffers from nighttime teeth grinding.

Separate research discussed at the conference revealed that helmet ventilation—a relatively new treatment—might benefit patients with acute respiratory failure who do not respond to noninvasive ventilation through facial masks. Arterial blood gas analysis at 1 hour and 12 hours showed a significant improvement of Pao2 in the majority of patients.

Read more abstracts and case studies presented at CHEST 2009.