Analysis of Use of Humidifiers with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy for ObstructiveSleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a commonly occurring disease characterized by repetitive obstructive breathing pauses during sleep. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is still regarded as a first-line treatment and the humidifier is a widely used device to alleviate the adverse effects of CPAP. Method: This was a retrospective observational study that covered the period September 2011 to July 2014. Patients were eligible to participate if they had a confirmed diagnosis of OSAHS and had been under stable use of CPAP for more than 6 months. Humidifier levels and adjustments were recorded. The results underwent correlation analysis with age, gender, BMI, AHI, CPAP median pressure, and CPAP median leaks. Results: A total of 219 patients were enrolled in our observational study. All of the subjects but 4 used a humidifier, and the most commonly used humidifier levels were 2 (46.1%) and 3 (26%). There was a significant correlation between humidifier level and median CPAP pressure (r=0.156; p=0.021), and a weak correlation between humidifier level and age (r=0.116; p=0.087) and median CPAP leaks (r=0.113; p=0.096). Conclusion: Most of the OSAHS patients who received CPAP treatment used a humidifier, and most of the humidifiers were used at levels 2-3. More than half of the patients would adjust the humidifier level. Median CPAP pressure had a significant correlation with humidifier level.