Continuous Positive-Airway-Pressure Study

What Does Continuous Positive-Airway-Pressure Study Mean?

A continuous positive-airway-pressure (CPAP) study is an analysis conducted to determine the appropriate air pressure level for a specific patient's CPAP device.

CPAP therapy is used for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which a person's throat or upper airway collapse while the person is sleeping. The CPAP machine is a device with a hose and mask that delivers a steady stream of air to a sleeping wearer. This positive pressure airflow helps to keep the CPAP user's airways open.

During a CPAP study, which is conducted while the patient sleeps, a sleep technician will adjust, or titrate, the air-pressure levels of the positive airway pressure device to choose the most effective setting. This setting will then be programmed into the CPAP so that it can be used at home by the patient.

A continuous positive-airway-pressure study may also be called a continuous positive-airway-pressure titration study.

WorkplaceTesting Explains Continuous Positive-Airway-Pressure Study

The CPAP study is sometimes referred to as a sleep study because it usually requires collection of data while a patient is sleeping. However, a sleep study may encompass many different types of data collection beyond just the information necessary to prepare the CPAP machine.

CPAP studies involve selecting an effective air-pressure level and subsequently adjusting that air-pressure level in response to feedback. Once a patient has used a CPAP machine, he or she may need to return for further sleep studies to determine whether adjustments to the air pressure levels should be made.