Patterns of CPAP use set in the first week or two tend to persist. Problems that cause early abandonment — mask leak, dry mouth, nasal congestion, claustrophobia, pressure intolerance — are mostly fixable if found early.
Arrange contact soon after starting, review downloaded usage data, and address mask fit and humidification before deciding CPAP has failed. Explain what the treatment is for, in the patient's own terms, at the start.
- Contact patients within the first week or two of starting CPAP
- Review device usage and leak data rather than relying on recall
- Try a different mask or heated humidification before abandoning CPAP
- Agree with the patient what benefit they are hoping for
Why it matters
Most CPAP failure is a fixable early problem that nobody looked for.
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