A patient is snoring on CPAP 11cmH2O. What is the best course of action for the tech to take?

A patient is snoring on CPAP 11cmH2O. What is the best course of action for the tech to take?

• A. Lower the CPAP to 10cmH2O
• B. Switch to BIPAP 15/10cmH2O
• C. Raise the CPAP to 12cmH2O
• D. Do nothing. Snoring is not treated by CPAP

Answer: (C)

Snoring on CPAP usually means the airway isn’t fully stabilized at the current pressure. The goal is to find the lowest pressure that effectively prevents airway vibration while keeping the patient comfortable. Increasing the pressure by a small amount provides more airway splinting, which often stops the snoring without causing problems for the patient. Raising from 11 to 12 cmH2O achieves this and is the most direct, appropriate adjustment. Lowering the pressure would likely worsen the snoring. Switching to BIPAP introduces unnecessary complexity unless there are persistent obstructive events or ventilation issues beyond simple snoring. Doing nothing allows the snoring to continue, which isn’t ideal for comfort or potential underlying issues.

Snoring on CPAP usually means the airway isn’t fully stabilized at the current pressure. The goal is to find the lowest pressure that effectively prevents airway vibration while keeping the patient comfortable. Increasing the pressure by a small amount provides more airway splinting, which often stops the snoring without causing problems for the patient. Raising from 11 to 12 cmH2O achieves this and is the most direct, appropriate adjustment.

Lowering the pressure would likely worsen the snoring. Switching to BIPAP introduces unnecessary complexity unless there are persistent obstructive events or ventilation issues beyond simple snoring. Doing nothing allows the snoring to continue, which isn’t ideal for comfort or potential underlying issues.