

“This definitely came out of left field,” said Clodagh Ryan, a sleep physician at Toronto General Hospital. When the company announced a voluntary recall in June, the action took many doctors by surprise. Philips Respironics is one of the leading makers of CPAP and related machines, as well as respirators used by millions of people around the world. The device is connected to a facial or nose mask, which provides a stream of pressurized air that props open the throat so breathing isn’t interrupted. CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure. They have no memory of rousing but suffer the consequences of poor-quality sleep, including drowsiness and impaired concentration.Ī CPAP machine is considered the best way to treat this debilitating disorder. Those with the condition wake up repeatedly throughout the night – in some cases, hundreds of times – to literally gasp for air.

“I don’t want my patients to end up in car crashes because they now have daytime drowsiness,” said Mark Boulos, a sleep neurologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.Īs you are likely aware, sleep apnea is caused by the soft tissues in the back of the throat collapsing shut during sleep and blocking the flow of air. The answer: Despite what the e-mail said, you should not stop using your machine without first talking to your family doctor or sleep specialist about the pros and cons of temporarily ceasing CPAP therapy. What am I supposed to do in the meantime? But there is no indication when my CPAP will be replaced. The e-mail also said to stop using the machine immediately.

I recently received an e-mail notification saying my CPAP maker – Philips Respironics – is recalling my machine because of a potential problem with the device. The question: I suffer from sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine every night to breathe properly.
