Effective comparison of two auto-CPAP devices for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea based on polysomnographic evaluation.
BACKGROUND
Automatic continuous positive airway pressure (auto-CPAP) machines differ mainly in algorithms used for respiratory event detection and pressure control. The auto-CPAP machines operated by novel algorithms are expected to have better performance than the earlier ones in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the therapeutic characteristics between two different auto-CPAP devices, i.e., the third-generation flow-based (f-APAP) and the second-generation vibration-based (v-APAP) machines, during the first night treatment of OSAS.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the polysomnography (PSG) recordings of 43 OSAS patients who were initially performed an overnight diagnostic PSG to confirm the disease and afterwards received the first night auto-CPAP treatment with using either the f-APAP (n=22) or v-APAP (n=21) device under another PSG evaluation.


RESULTS
There were 13.6% and 61.9% patients who remained a residual apnea/hypopnea index more than 5 during the f-APAP and v-APAP application, respectively (P<0.005). The f-APAP was more effective than the v-APAP in reducing apnea/hypopnea index (P=0.003), hypopnea index (P=0.023) and apnea index (P=0.007), improving the lowest oxygen saturation index (P=0.007) and shortening stage 1 sleep (P=0.016). However, the f-APAP was less sufficient than the v-APAP in reducing arousal/awakening index (P=0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that the f-APAP works better than the v-APAP in abolishing breathing abnormities in the treatment of OSAS; however, the f-APAP device might still have some potential limitations in the clinical application.
Shi
Hai-Bo
HB
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan; Sendai Snoring Research Centre, Miyoshi ENT Clinic, Sendai 981-3133, Japan.
Cheng
Lei
L
Nakayama
Meiho
M
Kakazu
Yasuhiro
Y
Yin
Min
M
Miyoshi
Akira
A
Komune
Shizuo
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome