ABA Sleep Medicine study guide
ABA Sleep Medicine · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Sleep Medicine Exam is one of the subspecialty examinations offered by the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA), listed alongside subspecialty exams in adult cardiac anesthesiology, critical care medicine, health care administration, leadership and management, hospice and palliative medicine, neurocritical care, pain medicine, and pediatric anesthesiology. It is intended for physicians who are already certified anesthesiologists and who wish to extend their credentialing into sleep medicine, a multidisciplinary field that draws on neurology, pulmonary medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, and otolaryngology as well as anesthesiology. The ABA Sleep Medicine study guide has 8 sections and about 2,093 words.
01Core Sleep Medicine: Architecture, Neurobiology, and Homeostasis
Sleep is staged by the AASM rules: N1, N2, N3, and R, each defined by EEG, EOG, and EMG criteria. Understand the two-process model : Process S (homeostatic sleep pressure, tracked by adenosine accumulation) and Process C (circadian timing from the suprachiasmatic nucleus).
295 words, about 1 min02Sleep-Wake and Circadian Rhythm Disorders
Circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders (CRSWDs) include delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (DSWPD) , advanced sleep-wake phase disorder (ASWPD) , shift work disorder , jet lag , non-24-hour sleep-wake rhythm disorder , and irregular sleep-wake rhythm . Diagnosis hinges on a mismatch between the endogenous circadian phase and the desired/required schedule , with consequent insomnia and/or daytime impairment.
267 words, about 1 min03Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is diagnosed by AHI or RDI thresholds : mild 5-15, moderate 15-30, severe ≥30 events/hour. The AHI counts apneas plus hypopneas per hour of sleep; hypopneas require a ≥30% flow reduction with ≥3% desaturation or an arousal (AASM recommended rule).
267 words, about 1 min04Insomnia and Hypersomnolence
Insomnia disorder requires difficulty initiating/maintaining sleep or early awakening with daytime consequences, ≥3 nights/week for ≥3 months despite adequate opportunity. First-line treatment is CBT-I (stimulus control, sleep restriction, cognitive restructuring, relaxation, sleep hygiene).
238 words, about 1 min05Sleep-Related Movement Disorders and Parasomnias
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a clinical diagnosis: urge to move, worse at rest, relieved by movement, worse in evening/night. Check ferritin ; treat iron deficiency (target ferritin 75-100 ng/mL).
255 words, about 1 min06Sleep Testing, Polysomnography, and Diagnostic Assessment
Polysomnography (PSG) records EEG, EOG, EMG (chin and legs), ECG, airflow, respiratory effort, oxygen saturation, and body position. Home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) is appropriate for adults with high pretest probability of moderate-severe OSA without significant comorbidity; it is not appropriate for suspected central apnea, OHS, severe cardiopulmonary disease, or pediatric patients.
254 words, about 1 min07Perioperative and Critical Care Aspects of Sleep Medicine
OSA is a perioperative risk factor for difficult airway, postoperative respiratory depression, and cardiac events. Screen with STOP-BANG ; a high score warrants caution, not necessarily cancellation.
269 words, about 1 min08Sleep Medicine in Special Populations and Comorbid Disease
Pediatrics : OSA in children often presents with snoring, mouth breathing, and adenotonsillar hypertrophy ; adenotonsillectomy is first-line for most. Pediatric PSG uses different scoring rules (e.g., hypopnea criteria, obstructive apnea ≥1 event).
248 words, about 1 min