Method and apparatus for monitoring respiratory distress based on autonomic imbalance

A system for monitoring and treating respiratory distress in a patient, comprising:

• a portable device including:
• a signal input configured to receive patient condition signals indicative of autonomic balance of the patient;
• a signal processing circuit configured to process the patient condition signals and to generate patient condition parameters using the processed patient condition signals, the patient condition parameters indicative of the autonomic balance of the patient;
• and
• a respiratory distress analyzer configured to determine a state of the respiratory distress using the patient condition parameters, the respiratory distress analyzer including a parameter analysis circuit configured to analyze the patient condition parameters for a degree of autonomic imbalance of the patient and to determine a quantitative measure of the state of the respiratory distress using an outcome of the analysis;
• and
• implantable and non-implantable sensors each configured to be communicatively coupled to the portable device and to sense a patient condition signal of the patient condition signals.