Objective measurement of compliance with nasal CPAP treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome

Compliance with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has become a major concern, since this treatment is efficacious, but constraining. In 46 consecutive obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients, we measured compliance with nasal CPAP by establishing a mean rate of use, with a built-in time counter read at three-month intervals, over a mean follow-up period of 232 +/- 27 days. The mean rate of use in the whole group was 5.14 +/- 0.31 hours per day. The acceptance rate was 90.9-93.2%, showing that patient acceptance is not a limitation in the use of nasal CPAP.

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				J. Wright, R. Johns, I. Watt, A. Melville, and T. Sheldon Health effects of obstructive sleep apnoea and the effectiveness of continuous positive airways pressure: a systematic review of the research evidence BMJ, March 22, 1997; 314(7084): 851 - 851. [Abstract] [Full Text]