Continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP uses pressure to keep the airway open preventing the user from experiencing breathing problems while they sleep. CPAP is a treatment process typically used for individuals who have a condition called sleep apnea. CPAP also provides breathing assistance to infants, children and adults experiencing problems breathing. CPAP is a noninvasive means of offering breathing assistance for people with respiratory difficulties, which are not serious enough for more invasive measures such as using a ventilator which will breathe for them. There are three different types of positive airway pressure support.
APAP
APAP stands for automatic positive airway pressure. An APAP system automatically adjusts the amount of pressure pushed into the airway on a breath-by-breath basis allowing the least amount of pressure to keep the airway open while the user sleeps. An APAP machine is more complex than a standard CPAP machine because it "senses" the amount of pressure needed per breath. The APAP machine can also function as a CPAP machine, providing a preset pressure per breath. An example of an APAP machine is the IntelliPAP AutoAdjust APAP by DeVilbiss.
BiPAP
BiPap, also known as BiLevel or VPAP also delivers positive airway pressure, but at two different pressures. The inspiratory pressure and the expiratory pressure are different as the machine alternates between the preset pressures. The durable medical equipment company that provides the machine sets the pressure levels according to the doctor's prescription. A prescription for a CPAP machine with a single preset pressure cannot be used to order a BiPaP machine capable of delivering inspiratory and expiratory pressures. A PR SystemOne BiPAP Auto with Bi_Flex by Philips Respironics is an example of a BiPaP machine able to provide dual pressures.
CPAP
CPAP is the most common positive airway pressure therapy used to treat obstructive sleep apnea. CPAP machines deliver a consistent preset pressure based on a physicians' prescription, most often determined by a sleep study. CPAP provides a consistent pressure to keep the airway open, minimizing or preventing apneic episodes. Sleep apnea occurs when a person stops breathing because of an obstruction in the airway. CPAP allows the patient to get a full night's sleep. an example of a CPAP machine is the Resmed S9 Elite.
