Tratamento da apnéia obstrutiva do sono com pressão positiva contínua na via aérea. Obstrutive sleep apnea treatment with continuous positive airway pressure.

Several studies support a favorable influence of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy on risk of adverse endpoints in patients with moderate/severe obstructive sleep apnea. The gold standard therapy for obstructive sleep apnea is CPAP. This device prevents the collapse of the upper airway and improves quality of life. To be effective, the level of CPAP must ex ceed the critical closing pressure of the upper airway. This use for ≥ 4 h per night normalizes the risk of mortality. Treatment with CPAP reduces the costs with evidence of decreased hospitalization due to cardiovascular and pulmonary disease. This therapy also reduces the costs associated with traffic accidents. Despite the high efficacy of CPAP to reverse upper airway obstruction in sleep apnea, treatment effectiveness is limited by variable adherence to prescribed therapy. Thus, new studies are necessary in order to improve the CPAP adherence in sleep apnea patients.