A&B Medical

C-PAP/Bi-PAP

C-PAP

C-PAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure referring to a medical device used primarily for the treatment of sleep apnea.  It may also be employed to transition patients in hospitals from breathing tubes to regular breathing. Those with breathing disorders may also use a C-PAP at night.

A C-PAP machine has a small box connected to tubes for an air flow. The tubes are connected to a mask worn on the face. For those with sleep apnea, the C-PAP is used at night during normal sleep.

Bi-PAP

Bi-PAP stands for Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure. It is a breathing apparatus that helps take in more air into the lungs.

With Bi-PAP, air is delivered through a mask that can be set at one pressure for inhaling and another for exhaling. Because of these dual settings, Bi-PAP allows people to take in more air and release it out of the lungs without the natural muscular effort needed to do so.