The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (9/16, Bernhard) reports that "paramedics now are embracing the use of continuous positive airway pressure (C-PAP) devices in ambulances. The C-PAP is less invasive and less expensive than a trachea tube and ventilator," and "in emergencies where people have trouble breathing, it gets air in and out of the lungs faster." In addition, physicians say that "avoiding breathing tubes can benefit the patient, because the tubes put the patient at greater risk of infection, and usually guarantee a longer stay in the hospital's intensive care unit." That is because "people with chronic lung disease who get put on a ventilator to breathe can sometimes have a hard time breathing on their own again." Typically, it takes about "five to 10 minutes" to train paramedics to use C-PAP devices. It is recommended that the devices be used "on patients who are having trouble breathing due to congestive heart failure, emphysema, or other lung diseases. It offers a third, intermediate option to the breathing tube, or a supplemental oxygen mask used in less serious cases."

CPAP use has become more common in the area I am in. I am a firemen in suburban Chicago. We started carrying these on our ambulances last summer. I can tell you this it works big time. They work great for asthmatics who are having trouble moving air thus not getting their breathing treatment deep enough into their lungs to act fast enough.


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Respironics M series BiPap auto set to 16/20
Resmed Mirage Quattro FF
Diagnosed in 04 unsuccessful titration
retested and retitrated to new machine in 11 of 08

As a paramedic for over ten years, I can verify the use of CPAP by paramedic systems. In my opinion, CPAP is one of the best pieces of equipment we carry. With the addition of CPAP, intubation (taking over someones breathing by inserting a tube in a patients trachea) rates dropped drastically. CPAP is much easier to wean a patient off of than intubation, resulting in patients recovering faster. CPAP is so effective, it is rapidly beccoming standard equipment nationwide for paramedic units.

I am confused as to how this would be helpful since one still has to actively breath.  Are you saying that it provides gas exchange without having to provide the mechanisms of ventilation?  That would make sense to me since high PAP pressures cause central apneas by blowning off CO2.  Increased levels of CO2, as I'm sure you firefighters/paramedics know (yea you rock you hot guys!!!) , is the main signal to breath.  Which then leads me to another question, what pressure do you use so you don't induce central apneas?

Vicki


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Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.
Marilyn Von Savant

That which does not kill you makes you stronger-Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich must of had apnea.