EMS PREHOSPITAL CPAP DEVICES

Course overview

CONTINUOUS POSITIVE AIRWAY PRESSURE (CPAP) IS NON-INVASIVE POSITIVE PRESSURE VENTILATION (NIPPV) THAT HELPS IMPROVE THE WORK OF BREATHING AND OXYGENATION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DIFFERENT CARDIOPULMONARY COMPLAINTS RELATED TO PRIMARY RESPIRATORY OR CARDIOVASCULAR COMPLAINTS. THE CONCEPT OF POSITIVE PRESSURE VENTILATION STARTED IN THE 1930S AND GAINED MOMENTUM IN THE 1950S DURING THE POLIO EPIDEMIC. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE 1980S THAT NONINVASIVE FORMS OF CPAP WERE ADOPTED TO HELP PATIENTS WITH OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA AND CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, POTENTIAL COMPLICATIONS OF CPAP DEVICES AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA.