OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the standard therapy for sleep apnea; however, compliance rates are historically poor. Among the most commonly cited reasons for nonadherence is nasal obstruction. Our study sought to examine if nasal surgery actually increases CPAP compliance. STUDY DESIGN Prospective case series. METHODS Nasal CPAP-intolerant obstru...

BACKGROUND Neonates with respiratory distress syndrome are often treated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Nasal CPAP methods include electronic feedback control, underwater seal, flow opposition, and flow opposition with fluidic flow reversal on expiration. Few studies have compared those modes, and the results have been contradictory. METHODS We compared the effect of r...

BACKGROUND Following the World Trade Center disaster, a large number of individuals involved in rescue and recovery activity were exposed to significant amounts of dust, and reported symptoms of chronic nasal and sinus inflammation. An unusually high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has also been observed in this World Trade Center Responder population. This project aims to examine t...

STUDY OBJECTIVES The effectiveness of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is based on raising the intramural pressure above a critical collapsing pressure of the oropharyngeal airway. It is currently unclear whether CPAP delivered orally is also capable of raising pressure in the oropharynx above the critical collapse pressure. DESIGN We ...

In an attempt to identify predictors of long-term compliance with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), we reviewed the records of 125 patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) referred to our center for nasal CPAP trials. Severity of sleep apnea, sleep staging, daytime hypersomnolence, effectiveness of nasal CPAP, previous palatal surgery, and adverse reactions were compared in c...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether lung volume changes and breathing pattern parameters differ among 3 devices for delivery of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in premature infants. METHODS Thirty-two premature infants receiving nasal CPAP for apnea or mild respiratory distress were enrolled. Birth weight was (mean +/- standard deviation) 1081 +/- 316 g, gestational age 29 +/- 2 w...