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Humidified nasal continuous positive airway pressure in obstructive sleep apnoea

¹ WellSleep Sleep Investigation Centre and ² Dept of Medicine, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wellington South, New Zealand

CORRESPONDENCE: A.M. Neill, Dept of Medicine, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, PO Box 7343, Wellington South, New Zealand. Fax: 64 49208861. E-mail: aneill@wnmeds.ac.nz

Keywords: humidification, nasal continuous positive airway pressure, obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, side-effects

Received: May 1, 2002
Accepted April 11, 2003

This study was funded by an Otago University Research Grant.

Heated humidification of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) reduces upper airway symptoms and improves initial use in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). The present study aimed to assess the effect of heated humidification of nCPAP on upper airway symptoms and initial use in obstructive sleep apnoea.

This study was of a randomised, crossover design. Subjects with polysomnographically confirmed OSAS were randomised to 3 weeks nCPAP treatment with heated humidification (nCPAP-humid) or placebo humidification (nCPAP pl-humid). Objective and subjective nCPAP use, upper airway symptoms, and treatment satisfaction were compared.

Thirty seven of 42 patients completed the protocol. nCPAP-humid reduced the frequency of adverse upper airway symptoms. nCPAP use over 3 weeks was greater with nCPAP-humid compared with nCPAP pl-humid. No difference was found between the treatment arms in terms of subjective treatment satisfaction or alertness.

Heated humidification of nasal continuous positive airway pressure reduces upper airway symptoms and is associated with a small increase in initial use but not subjective sleepiness or treatment satisfaction. The results support the use of heated humidification as a strategy to reduce side-effects related to continuous positive airway pressure but not routine initial use.

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