Clinical statistics of auto continuous positive airway pressure treatment at an otolaryngology clinic

Abstract

Advances in automatic continuous positive airway pressure (auto CPAP) technology have made it possible to introduce CPAP in outpatient otolaryngology clinics. We examined the main clinical factors affecting the continuation of auto CPAP among 518 patients introduced to CPAP in our clinic. At 1 year post-initiation, 83.7% continued to use auto CPAP, and 60.0% continued to use it 10 years post-initiation. There were 137 cases of auto CPAP discontinuation, of which 81 cases (59.1%) were caused by CPAP mask-related complications. The most commonly reported complication (in 19 cases) was nasal congestion. Patients with severe nasal symptoms and swelling of inferior turbinates were offered nasal obstruction surgery. We compared rates of continued CPAP use between the 47 patients who underwent this procedure (Group B) and the 29 who did not and found that the patients who underwent nasal obstruction surgery (Group C) were significantly more likely to continue to use CPAP at 8 years post-initiation than those who did not. Strategies to manage nasal congestion, including nasal obstruction surgery, are critical for increasing and maintaining high rates of CPAP use over time.