[Diagnosis and treatment of the phobia due to treatment with air using nasal continuous pressure]

The obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is characterized by destructured sleep due to repeated episodes of obstruction of the superior respiratory tract during sleep. Treatment by nasal continuous positive airway pressure (n-CPAP) using air is one of the most common forms of treatment of OSAS, although some patients cannot tolerate it. One of the causes of intolerance of n-CPAP is the phobic reaction of some patients.

The objective of this study is to show that phobia is one of the causes of n-CPAP not being accepted by OSAS patients and demonstrates the efficacy of treatment by exposure in cases of phobic fear of mask. Patients and methods. We studied six patients with phobic intolerance of CPAP and established the diagnosis of phobia according to the criteria of DSM-IV. Subsequently, they were treated by real-life exposure, one of the behavior techniques most often used for phobic disorders, and consisting of exposure to the feared object under conditions in which escape or avoidance is impossible.

Following the diagnosis of phobia of the CPAP mask, it was seen that treatment involving real-life exposure was effective.