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Humidification in the Intensive Care Unit pp 109–113Cite as

Pros and Cons of Humidification for CPAP Therapy in the Treatment of Sleep Apnea

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Abstract

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) is the treatment of choice for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Upper airway side effects associated with nCPAP treatment may result in lower acceptance and adherence rates. Heated humidification should be initiated when patients complain of relevant upper airway symptoms that are unresponsive to simple measures. The current literature suggests increased acceptance and adherence rates as well as higher subjective response in association with heated as opposed to cold-passover humidification. Modern CPAP variants such as auto-adjusted CPAP and/or expiratory pressure relief CPAP may be associated with fewer upper airway side effects and thus need for humidification.

Keywords

  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea
  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patient
  • Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
  • Nasal Resistance
  • Heated Humidification

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institute for COPD and Respiratory Epidemiology Otto-Wagner-Spital, Sanatoriumstrasse 2, 1140, Wien, Austria

    Arschang Valipour

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  1. Arschang Valipour
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Correspondence to Arschang Valipour .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Avenida del Parque 2, 3 B, Murcia, 30500, Spain

    Antonio Matías Esquinas

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Valipour, A. (2012). Pros and Cons of Humidification for CPAP Therapy in the Treatment of Sleep Apnea. In: Esquinas, A. (eds) Humidification in the Intensive Care Unit. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02974-5_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02974-5_13

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

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