Humidification in CPAP Therapy

The following information is provided by Fisher & Paykel Healthcare

Compliance with CPAP Therapy

Nasal CPAP is the treatment of choice for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and as with all treatments, its effectiveness is dependent upon the compliance of the user. Initially it was thought that patient compliance was very high. It was reported that approximately 80% of people who started on CPAP were using it seven days a week for the duration of their sleep time.

However, more recently it has been demonstrated that patients significantly overestimate the use of CPAP. In reality fewer than 50% could be considered regular users 3,5.

Several studies have looked at factors that may influence whether or not patients persevere with CPAP treatment. The severity of OSA determined by polysomnography, may or may not influence CPAP compliance. Regardless of actual improvement in the apnea/hypopnoea index (AHI) it is the patients perception of their improvement that increases compliance. If the patient feels that CPAP is beneficial for them they are more likely to comply with the treatment.

The two factors that have been proven to increase compliance when using CPAP are education and humidification 3,5.

In 1999, Chest Magazine published a paper by Massie et al 3 in which 47 subjects were randomly assigned to CPAP with either heated humidification or cold-passover humidification. The results showed that:

• Using heated humidification with CPAP increased patient compliance.
• Both cold-passover and heated humidification improved patients overall satisfaction with CPAP as an effective treatment.
• Using heated humidification in conjunction with CPAP increased the likelihood that patients felt refreshed when awakened.
• When CPAP was used with heated humidity compared to CPAP use without humidity, patients had a significantly lowered incidence of dry mouth, throat and nose.
• On average, patients using heated humidification complied with the therapy for 30 minutes longer per night than those using cool passover.
• 75% of patients on the study preferred heated humidification.

Previous | Next

• The Role Of Humidification in CPAP Therapy
• What is Humidity?
• How the Human Body Humidifies Air
• CPAP Therapy Potential Problems
• Mouth leak and the Vicious Cycle
• Increase in Nasal Resistance
• Compliance With CPAP Therapy
• Frequently Asked Questions
• References