SUMMARY
Brendon M. Colaco, M.B.B.S., researches pulmonary and sleep medicine. His interests include empowering people in management of sleep disorders, advanced positive airway pressure therapy for the management of obesity-hypoventilation syndrome, chronic respiratory failure and obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea overlap syndromes.
Dr. Colaco studies central sleep apnea (CSA), including its causes and the optimal management of people with CSA syndromes. He researches implantable generators for the management of obstructive and central sleep apnea. Dr. Colaco also focuses on quality management in sleep labs. His clinical interests include asthma, obstructive airway diseases, and bronchoscopic procedures in the diagnosis and management of pulmonary pathology.
Focus areas
- Sleep apnea therapy. Dr. Colaco is developing affordable and effective nonpositive airway pressure therapy for sleep apnea. He studies oral appliance-based therapy for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.
- Management of obstructive sleep apnea. Dr. Colaco is developing and using technology-based education and tasks to empower people in managing obstructive sleep apnea. This project is focused on developing and applying an interactive care plan to improve people's compliance.
- Diagnosing dynamic airway collapse. Currently, airway collapse is diagnosed with dynamic bronchoscopy. Dr. Colaco is developing dynamic cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) to diagnose dynamic airway collapse. This project uses data obtained during modified dynamic CPET to replace invasive bronchoscopy for the diagnosis of airway collapse.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Colaco's focus on quality in sleep labs has a direct bearing on people's safety during overnight sleep studies. He researches the need for adequate staffing in sleep labs in this era of increasing use of home sleep apnea tests and the shrinking role of laboratory polysomnography with sleep lab staff.
He researches interactive care plans that allow for effortless education for people undergoing positive airway pressure therapy. This promotes empowerment to people who are getting a positive airway pressure device and improves compliance with therapy.