Severe obstructive sleep apnoea treated with long term nasal continuous positive airway pressure.

Seven patients with the severe obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome were treated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure for from three to 22 months. This treatment reversed all symptoms due to the syndrome in every patient and continued to be used in five patients. One patient stopped treatment after eight months and subsequently remained incapacitated and another underwent tracheostomy at the time of transphenoidal hypophysectomy. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure is a safe, non-invasive treatment, which may be used in the presence of cardiac and respiratory failure. It is able fully to reverse upper airway obstruction and can be used at home on a long term basis.