Performance of the NOSE Questionnaire in Mask Selection for Home CPAP Titration

Introduction  Many patients abandon CPAP treatment because they find the mask uncomfortable. Therefore, specialists may benefit from the predictive value of airway assessment tools. Objective  To identify nasal ventilation failure through the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who undergo home-based auto-adjusting CPAP titration and to determine whether there is a correlation between NOSE score and the type of mask selected. Materials and Methods  In this prospective correlational study, the NOSE scale was used in terms of mask selection and titration indicators. Patients were classified based on their NOSE score: > or < 50. Results  We included 303 patients; 226 men (74.5%), BMI: 33.2 ± 6.1 kg/m ² , neck circumference (cm): 42.8 ± 3.6 and Epworth (ESS) score: 9.2 ± 5.6, mild OSA: 12 (3.9%), moderate OSA: 127 (41.9%), and severe OSA: 164 (54.1%). The mean NOSE score was 24.3 ± 22.8 and 42 patients (13.8%) had NOSE scores > 50. Indicators for both groups were: compliance (5.9 ± 1.3 vs. 5.8 ± 1.4 hours) p: 0.41, therapeutic pressure (9.1 ± 2.0 vs. 8.8 ± 1.6 cm of H ₂ O) p: 0.23, residual AHI (2.3 ± 1.8 vs. 2.8 ± 2.6 events/hour) p: 0.25, and leaks (20.5 ± 10.6 vs. 21.3 ± 10.7 liters/minute) p: 0.64. According to adjusted multiple regression, a NOSE of > 50 was not a predictor of mask selection. Conclusions  A > 50 NOSE score was not a predictor of mask selection, and it was not correlated to titration performance.