COMPARISON OF NOSE AND FACE MASK CPAP THERAPY FOR SLEEP-APNEA

Background-Many patients with sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (SAHS) f ind nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment unsatis factory due to side effects related to mouth air leakage. A study was performed to compare side effects with face mask and nose mask CPAP th erapy in patients with SAHS, with and without uvulopalatopharyngoplast y (U3P), Methods-Twenty newly diagnosed patients with SAHS took part i n a randomised double limb trial of face or nose mask CPAP therapy (fo ur weeks per limb) in which CPAP compliance in terms of machine run ti me was measured and patients answered a symptom questionnaire on side effects resulting from the mask, Ten patients with SAHS with U3P (SAHS /U3P) who were already regular users of nasal CPAP were also given a f our week trial of face mask CPAP to compare compliance and symptoms. T en patients with SAHS were matched with the 10 SAHS/U3P patients for b ody mass index, age, apnoea/hypopnoea index, and CPAP pressure, Long t erm compliance was estimated one year after the mask comparison studie s. Results-For patients with SAHS nightly compliance was higher with a nose mask (mean (SE) 5.3 (0.4) hours/night CPAP) than with a face mas k (4.3 (0.5) hours/ night CPAP), p = 0.01 (mean difference 1.0 hour/ni ght, 95% CI 1.8 to 0.3). Nose masks were rated more comfortable by 19 of 20 patients (p<0.001) despite more mouth leak related symptoms, For SAHS/U3P patients compliance was marginally higher with nose masks (5 .1 (0.7) hours/ night CPAP) than with face masks (4.0 (0.8) hours/nigh t CPAP), p = 0.07 (mean difference 1.1 hour/night, 95% CI 2.1 to 0.1), Nose masks were rated more comfortable by seven of 10 patients. There were no significant differences in side effect scores with face and n ose masks. At one year nine of 10 SAHS patients and nine of 10 SAHS/U3 P patients were still using CPAP Compliance was 5.4 (0.6) hours/night for the SAHS patients and 3.5 (0.4) hours/night for the SAHS/U3P patie nts, p = 0.02 (mean difference 1.9 hour/night, 95% CI 3.6 to 0.3). Con clusions-Compliance is greater with nose mask CPAP than with facemask CPAP because the overall comfort is better and compensates for increas ed symptoms associated with mouth leakage. Improved face mask design i s needed.