Alteration of Auto-CPAP requirements in obstructive sleep apnea patients with COVID-19 history

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that leads to critical respiratory problems. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common sleep-associated breathing disease and is represented by repetitive experiences of constraint of the respiratory tract prompting to reduced or deficient breathing during sleep. Auto-Continuous positive airway pressure (Auto-CPAP) is a modality of respiratory ventilation used as gold standart in the treatment of OSA. OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to conclude the alteration of Auto-CPAP levels in OSA patients who had COVID-19 history. METHODS: Nineteen OSA patients who had cured COVID-19 and used Auto-CPAP were included in this study. Nightly Auto-CPAP 95th percentile pressure (95thpp), median CPAP pressure and AHI before COVID-19 disease and one month after COVID therapy were recorded from electronic cards of Auto-CPAP devices. RESULTS: Before COVID infection, average Auto-CPAP 95thpp was 8.56 ± 0.17 cm H(2)O. One month after COVID-19, average Auto-CPAP 95thpp was 9.78 ± 0.21 cm H(2)O (P < 0.01). While Median CPAP pressure was 7.49 ± 0.16 cm H(2)O before COVID, it was found to be 8.15 ± 0.19 cm H(2)O after the disease (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The increase in need of average Auto-CPAP 95thpp and median CPAP pressure in OSA patients who have had COVID-19 disease and use Auto-CPAP shows that this disease causes problems in both the lower and upper airways.