The compliance with nasal continuous positive airway pressure in patients with sleep apnea syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the compliance with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) therapy in patients with sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) and to analyze the factors influencing the compliance.


METHODS
A questionnaire about compliance was sent to 118 patients with SAS who accepted nCPAP home therapy from Feb, 1994 to Aug, 2000. The factors influencing compliance were analyzed.


RESULTS
The compliance rate of nCPAP was 57%. The major factors influencing compliance were apnea-hypopnea index (AHI, P = 0.035), the lowest oxygen saturation (LSaO(2)) during sleep (P = 0.006), Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) before and after treatment (P < 0.001) and the quality of nCPAP ventilators (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
(1) The self-reported compliance with nCPAP treatment is good. (2) The factors influencing compliance are AHI, LSaO(2) during sleep before treatment, ESS before and after treatment, and the quality of nCPAP ventilators.
Dong
Xiaosong
X
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China.
He
Quanying
Q
Han
Fang
F
Wei
Hailin
H
Chen
Erzhang
E
Ding
Dongjie
D
D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012890:Sleep; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires