BiPAP Ventilator vs CPAP: Which One Should You Use?

What is BiPAP and CPAP?

BiPAP and CPAP are two different types of medical device which can be used based on the type of disease, severity of disease and Dr’s clinical judgement.

CPAP is mainly used to resolve the blockage in upper airway which mainly happens in Obstructive Sleep Apnea , this can help you recover from snoring or any flow limitation during sleep.

BiPAP is a type of ventilator which helps a patient in inhalation and exhalation both. BiPAP is used mainly to manage cases where patient has compromised respiration for any reason i.e. COPD, Obesity Hypoventilation, Overlap Syndrome or other respiratory illness.

What is basic difference in BiPAP and CPAP?

CPAP delivers a single pressure and helps mainly for inhalation. In OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea), patient has blockage in upper airway so oxygen level drops down during sleep. CPAP provides a forced air pressure during inhalation and helps to open the airway. This helps in maintaining the oxygen saturation during sleep.

BiPAP is also known as Bilevel. This means BiPAP/Bilevel provides two levels of pressure. In patients where respiration is compromised they may have different conditions like Obesity Hypoventilation where patients can exhale well but can’t inhale for a longer duration due to body weight. Similarly, in COPD patients they can inhale well but can’t exhale sufficiently this leads to CO2 retention in lungs.

BiPAP provides base pressure during exhalation and increases the pressure during inhalation. This gap in pressure (also known as Pressure Support) helps for an effective respiration.

Is there a common use of BiPAP and CPAP?

A Dr can better decide based on the clinical requirement but BiPAP can be used in cases where CPAP can t support enough i.e. When patient has high pressure requirements to manage OSA or patient has overlap syndrome (COPD with OSA).

What is difference in basic settings of BiPAP and CPAP?

There are some common settings and some unique settings in CPAP/ BiPAP.

CPAP is mainly used nowadays in automatic mode which is also know Auto CPAP, in CPAP we give a range of minimum and maximum pressure. CPAP machine calibrates the pressure based on the severity of blockage in upper airway and delivers accordingly. Apart from it we can provide some exhalation support also but that’s very limited. All other settings are comfort settings and may differ based on company, variant etc.

BiPAP is generally used with a fixed pressure recommended by the Dr. We fix an IPAP (Inspiratory Positive Airway Pressure) and EPAP (Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure). Along with that we can give some back up breathes, in case if patient is not taking sufficient number of breathes. There are some other technical settings also available which can make the therapy experience and results better. Those settings may differ based on companies. variants etc.

Which type of mask should be used with BiPAP and CPAP?

This is very critical and if not observed properly, it may be life threatening in some cases.

BiPAP and CPAP machines are mainly used with single circuit/tubing so it’s very important that we use a mask which helps for exhalation as well hence with all CPAPs and BiPAPs a Vented Mask should be used. Vented mask has got small holes/vents to washout the exhaled air. With every breath patient can inhale with the help of device and exhale the air thru the vents available in mask.

Is there a side effect of using BiPAP or CPAP?

If used with proper guidance and care then there are no major side effects of therapy with BiPAP or CPAP as these devices provide air only with an increased pressure. But still there are some points to remember while using these devices.

In some cases, CPAP users may complain about bloating, suffocation at low pressures, mouth dryness etc but these can be managed with some setting changes in device.

In case of BiPAP, one has to be very careful because BiPAP delivers air to depth of the lungs so if you are using pressures (IPAP/EPAP) without any clinician’s recommendation then this may lead to any type of lung injury.

Does BiPAP or CPAP cure the disease?

These devices are assisting machines which can help to control the problems but they don’t provide the permanent cure.

Can BiPAP or CPAP be used at home?

Yes, both these devices can be used in home settings. Initially you should try for some time on rental/demo etc to get comfortable on device and when you are convinced then you should purchase your own device.

How can we carry BiPAP or CPAP machine during travel?

BiPAP or CPAP are small devices with weight of around 1- 2kgs and can be carried during travel in a small bag. Almost all the companies provide a carry bag with these devices.

What are rental charges for BiPAP and CPAP in India?

Rental charges of BiPAP in India may vary between INR 2500- 10000 based on company, model, duration of use etc.

Rental charges of CPAP in India may very between INR 2500- 6000 based on duration of use, company, model etc.