Difference in Bi-PAP and C-PAP

Some people ask whats the difference. I found this on a web site some time back and it explains. Bi-PAP stands for Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure. The use of Bi-PAP machines is often called non-invasive face mask ventilation. This is because the trachea is not intubated so there is less trauma to the airway and more importantly there is a lower incidence of nosocomial infections. C-PAP, stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. Continuous means that the pressure delivered to the patient is the same for any given breath. C-PAP can actually increase the work of breathing and be lethal to an ALS patient As the use of Bi-PAP machines has increased, their cost has gone down. There are also more types of masks available and this has improved patient comfort and compliance.

Thanks for the info Donna!

that seems a bit technical to me. I have been on c-pap for a year and was switched to bi-pap a couple of months ago. The difference between them is that c-pap is continuous pressure that never changes and with bi-pap the pressure drops to allow for exhaling. that is the only difference. I use the same masks I used with the c-pap. Hope this helps. nancy

You mention "ALS Patient". What does ALS stand for. Excuse my ignorance. Thanks tim

Tim- I didn't know what ALS was either- I searched online and here is what I found. ALS= amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. I hope that is right- most of the sites I found had this same description.