CPAP compliance in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is characterized by repeated cessations of breathing during sleep. Major symptoms of this disease are excessive daytime sleepiness, snoring, and witnessed apnea. Most of the patients are treated with CPAP. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the factors affecting adherence to the CPAP treatment. Seventy-one patients were enrolled to this study. Patients were divided into three groups according to CPAP usage. Group I consisted of patients who had never used CPAP, group II consisted of patients who had used CPAP occasionally, and group-III patients had used CPAP treatment regularly. Group-III patients had higher apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) than groups I and II (respectively, 56.6 +/- 27.7, 26.3 +/- 7.5, and 32.3 +/- 7.06; p < 0.000 for both). Oxygen desaturation index was significantly higher in group-III patients comparing to groups I and II (44.6 +/- 22.3, 15.9 +/- 8.3, and 25.6 +/- 9.5; p < 0.000 for all). Our findings have shown that only very severe patients use the CPAP device regularly (mean AHI 56.6 +/- 27.7). Compliance to CPAP treatment seemed to be poor in patients with moderate to severe, AHI about 30, OSAS. Considering the well-established benefits of CPAP treatment in patients with true indications, patients should be encouraged to use CPAP regularly, and complications of OSAS should be keynoted.