PATIENT EDUCATION: TEACHING THE PATIENT HOW TO USE CPAP FOR OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA

Course overview

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common type of sleep apnea (i.e., periodic pauses in breathing during sleep), is caused by partial or complete collapse (i.e., obstruction) of the pharyngeal airway, resulting in a recurrent pattern of sleep interruption followed by restored breathing. This continuing education module is designed to give the reader/learner an increased understanding of the procedure for providing patient education about the use of CPAP for OSA, including a step-by-step process and the benefits of patient education on this topic. Readers may explore any or all of the topics. One contact hour of continuing education credit is available for those who successfully complete the post-test and evaluation form.