title: Effect of a Heated Breathing Tube on Efficacy, Adherence and Side Effects during Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy in Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heated breathing tubes were developed to improve heated humidification in continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We wanted to investigate the influence of a heated breathing tube on patients' satisfaction with the treatment, the rate of side effects and the adherence to treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-eight patients with primarily diagnosed OSAS were treated in a randomized, controlled, single-blind trial for 12 months either with a CPAP system plus conventional heated humidifier or with a CPAP system plus heated humidifier and an integrated heated breathing tube.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both systems improved the respiratory disturbances and the quality of sleep in a similar manner. The difference in the overall satisfaction with the treatment (subscale 3 of the visual analogue scale) between the two treatment groups was not statistically significant (mean difference -14.1, 95% CI -28.7 to 0.6; p = 0.059). The rate of side effects and the quality of life did not differ significantly between the two groups. The patients with the heated breathing tube used the treatment on average 1 h longer, but this was not statistically significant (4.96 ± 1.95 vs. 3.90 ± 2.54 h/night; p = 0.06).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Controlled heated breathing tube humidification as compared to conventional heated humidification improves neither the adherence to treatment, nor the rate of side effects, nor the quality of life in nonselected OSAS patients.
authors.affiliation: Krankenhaus der Augustinerinnen, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Galetke
authors.forename: Eleonore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nothofer
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Priegnitz
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Anduleit
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Randerath
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D000068998:Humidifiers; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D017286:Polysomnography; D011788:Quality of Life; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome