- CPAP: Continuous positive airway pressure
- APAP: Automatic positive airway pressure
- BiPAP: bilevel positive airway pressure, also named BPAP machine, BiPAP machine, Bi-level CPAP machine
Pressure
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CPAP: Fixed pressure. CPAP pressure value is constant and stable, making the comfort degree and user-friendly degree not high.
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APAP: Pressure range and pressure are adjusted automatically. The comfort degree is better.
- BiPAP: There is a pressure difference in the airway during inhalation and exhalation.
Pressure Range
- CPAP：4-20hPa
- APAP: Pressure Range：4-20hPa
- BiPAP: pressure range is usually 4-25hPa, sometimes the highest is 30hPa.
Indications
- CPAP: snoring, sleep apnea syndrome.
- APAP: snoring, sleep apnea syndrome.
- BiPAP: mainly used for patients with lung disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease（COPD), Central sleep apnea (CSA), complex sleep apnea (CompSA), respiratory failure, bronchial asthma, respiratory disorders caused by neuromuscular diseases, etc.
Working Mode
CPAP machine
APAP machine
The APAP machine has 2 models: CPAP, Auto CPAP ( automatic adjustment mode)
BiPAP machine: CPAP, S, T, S/T or CPAP, S, Auto S.
For more information, please see the article: Types of BiPAP machine mode.
Auto S: set the minimum EPAP value and maximum IPAP value in advance, suitable for users with high-pressure requirements.
S/T mode: it's a combination of S mode and T mode.
Backup breath frequency can be set under the S/T mode.
Price
The price of BiPAP is much higher than that of CPAP and APAP, generally 1. 5 to 2 times its price.
Portable degree
Most of the mini portable PAP machines are of the APAP type, with few BiPAP.
For patients with only snoring or sleep apnea, CPAP is the best choice. It is not necessary to choose BiPAP. For some special patients with sleep apnea, doctors recommend using BiPAP. Because of obesity or other reasons, when using CPAP, apnea, the patient still experiences apnea. The pressure is not enough to fully open the airway, and provides less oxygen, leading that snoring or apnea still occurring. Its one-way pressure, compared with BiPAP's EPAP and IPAP, breathing is not so easy and the comfort degree is not better than BiPAP.
