The application of positive pressure may be intended to prevent upper airway collapse, as occurs in obstructive sleep apnea, or to reduce the work of breathing in conditions such as acute decompensated heart failure.

[1] In addition, a meta-analysis showed that CPAP therapy may reduce erectile dysfunction symptoms in male patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

[3] Upper airway resistance syndrome is another form of sleep-disordered breathing with symptoms that are similar to obstructive sleep apnea, but not severe enough to be considered OSA.

In resource-limited settings where CPAP improves respiratory rate and survival in children with primary pulmonary disease, researchers have found that nurses can initiate and manage care with once- or twice-daily physician rounds.

[8][9] In March 2020, the USFDA suggested that CPAP devices may be used to support patients affected by COVID-19;[10] however, they recommended additional filtration since non-invasive ventilation may increase the risk of infectious transmission.

However, due to a limited number of clinical studies, the effectiveness and safety of this approach to providing respiratory support is not clear.

CPAP machines possess a motor that pressurizes room temperature air and delivers it through a hose connected to a mask or tube worn by the patient.

[1] Some CPAP machines have other features as well, such as heated humidifiers,[15] and Bluetooth connectivity to allow data from during sleep to be viewed with a smartphone app.

[1] Dr. Colin Sullivan, an Australian physician and professor, invented CPAP in 1980 at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney.