BiPAP And CPAP; The Similarities, The Differences

Both BiPAP (bi-level positive airway pressure) and CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure ) machine are two ways to provide non-invasive ventilator therapy and their clinical indications vary from individual to individual according to their compliance.

Clinical Indications For Both BiPAP And CPAP

BiPAP and CPAP are both used in several disorders such as obstructive and central sleep apnea, complex sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), congestive heart failure (CHF) and other pulmonary disorders such as Cheyne-Stokes respiration and ALS. The reason why the two machines are so widely used in such disorders is because it faciliates breathing and reduces load on cardiac and pulmonary muscles.

Functioning of BiPAP And CPAP

One similarity between BiPAP and CPAP is that they both end the function at positive airway pressure (PAP) as they develop a slightly increased air pressure that maintains the opening of airways and makes it easier to breath.

The difference is of the continuous and alternating pressures. While CPAP provide constant increases pressure whereas BiPAP works by increasing the pressure while inhalation and decreasing the pressure during exhalation.

Pros And Cons of BiPAP And CPAP

While CPAP is one of the most common, affordable and convenient therapy option, it renders it difficult to exhale at a constant pressure for many patients and therefore is not effective for central sleep apnea and for patients suffering from other similar pulmonary and cardiac conditions.

On the other hand, BiPAP offers advantages such as advanced and better customized settings like variable pressure and treating a better range of disorders and is the second treatment of choice for obstructive sleep apnea when CPAP is unable to function. However, BiPAP is an expensive option for both the patient and the buyer and makes the treatment costly.

Concluding The Comparison

To conclude, it can be said that both BiPAP and CPAP machines are effective in their own terms for treating different kind of sleep apneas and other pulmonary disorders and their preference varies from individual to individual.

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