The purpose of this study was to assess within a nursing context the effectiveness of CPAP as an intervention for adult male subjects with sleep apnea. Literature relevant to the problem investigated is reviewed.
Pieyre (1996) wrote that the history of snoring may be divided into three major phases, which he designated as prehistoric, awareness, and modern. During the first phase which lasted until around 1900, snoring was ignored as a medical condition. During the second phase which lasted until around 1950, health practitioners became aware that snoring reflected a health problem; however, the problem was ill-defined and the development of therapies tended to be unfocused. During the modern phase, the sleep apnea syndrome has been identified, and several effective therapies have been developed, although not all of these therapies are equally effective for all patients (Pieyre, 1996).
CAPA was introduced as a therapy for sleep apnea in 1981. Over time, nocturnal ventilation through the application of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been established as both the safest and the most efficient non-surgical treatment for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Hollandt, Kuhl, and Siegert (1997a) concluded from research findings, however, that a large proportion of patients with moderate to severe OSAS cannot be treated efficiently with CPAP because of the low level of long-term acceptability to the therapy by some individuals. Because of such unacceptability, such patients do not comply with treatment protocols, and, as a consequence, the therapy is less effective and efficient that it should be. The identification and elimination of problems associated with the use of CPAP equipment may lead to reductions in the proportion of OSAS patients who do not comply with CPAP treatment protocols (Hollandt, Kuhl, & Siegert, 1997b).
Developing Patient Compliance With CPAP Treatment Protocols
Attempts to impr...