Is CPAP a ventilator

Answer 1

In the strictest and shortest answer yes. However when one thinks of a ventilator for health reasons, they are not really comparable. A Cpap Machines introduces positive pressure air to induce the patient to breathe on their own. The amount of pressure is decided by a physician with the aid of a polysomnographer and/or a respiratory therapist. It does not "breathe" for you. Breathe being the complete process of inhaling to inflate the lacks and provide oxygen to the blood and organs and then exhale to release carbon dioxide. The patient does that on their own.

A "ventilator" such as what most people think of, commonly used in ICUs, "breathes" for the patient. The vent settings are determined by physician or more commonly a respiratory therapist based on a physicians needs/expectations. There are several settings for a ventilator, but it introduces oxygen to inflate and then "removes" the air to exhale the carbon dioxide for the next cycle. In the strictest sense, the machine "breathes" for the patient until they are able to do so on their own.

The ventilator is also more invasive because in order to work efficiently, a tube must be introduced into the patients airway and secured in the trachea commonly done with an ET tube (Endotracheal) or Tracheostomy tube through a hole cut into the throat/trachea of the patient. CPAP machines introduces the positive air via a mask, nasal canula or combination of the two. Therefore nothing is actually placed "into" the body except the air.