title: Adverse effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure therapy in sleep apnoea syndrome.
abstract: Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) is now the treatment of choice for patients with sleep apnoea syndrome. Side-effects and adverse reactions have been described in isolated reports with this device. We have, therefore, systematically studied the side-effects of nCPAP therapy in 300 consecutive patients referred to the London Chest Hospital Ventilatory Support Unit. Ninety-six per cent of patients complained of at least one side-effect resulting from the therapy, with 45 per cent complaining of a side-effect specific to the nasal mask. There was no correlation between the side-effects and level of pressure used during nCPAP. The rate of compliance remained high in spite of the side-effects, with a daily use of 7.8 hours (SD 8.05) and with 83 per cent of the patients using the device every night. Although nCPAP treatment remains acceptable to most patients there exists a high incidence of adverse effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, St. Bartholomew's and Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK. ak@kalan1.demon.co.uk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kalan
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Kenyon
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Seemungal
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Wedzicha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D010349:Patient Compliance; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D012826:Silicone Elastomers / Q000009:adverse effects; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012912:Sneezing; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D012826:Silicone Elastomers