Authors: Diana C Dolan Renata Okonkwo Florian Gfullner J Randall Hansbrough Richard J Strobel Leon Rosenthal
Publish Date: 2008/06/13
Volume: 13, Issue: 1, Pages: 73-77
Abstract
Continuous positive airway pressure CPAP devices with the option of flexible pressure delivery eg CFlex are thought to provide an improved degree of comfort and result in better therapeutic adherence while maintaining standard CPAP efficacy The purpose of this study was to compare adherence and subjective measures of comfort between CFlex and CPAP treatmentThe study was an international multisite singleblinded study with participants randomized to either CFlex or CPAP Participants completed subjective measures of sleepiness and comfort at baseline and at 30 90 and 180day followups Additionally compliance data were downloaded from the device at each followup Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to assess the effects of treatmentThere were 138 men and 46 women average age of 48 ± 92 average Epworth Sleepiness Scale score of 149 ± 36 and average diagnostic apnea/hypopnea index AHI of 519 ± 277 CFlex and CPAP groups were comparable on baseline measures achieved comparable AHI on titration and had comparable PAP pressure requirements CFlex users had comparable average hours of use per night and total nights of use across the study but had a trend p 07 toward achieving greater total hours of utilization While both groups had comparable decreases in sleepiness CFlex users reported on visual analog scales greater comfort 643 vs 574 p = 01
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