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.
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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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