What Is Bipap IE Ratio?
Some respiratory ailments require assisted breathing. CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure and utilizes a small pumping apparatus to provide slightly-pressurized air continuously. For patients whose needs are more delicate and more complex, BiPAP may be prescribed. BiPAP stands for bilevel positive airway pressure. Positive pressure is only supplied during the cycle of inspiration.
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OSA and CPAP
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The individual with simple obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) ordinarily uses his CPAP machine only when sleeping. One pressure suffices for both inspiration and expiration.
COPD and BiPAP
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COPD patients and some others require a greater level of control. COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. COPD patients have great difficulty breathing out and cannot do so under pressure; hence, in addition to a pressurized on-cycle there must be a non-pressurized off-cycle.
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Two Cycle Times
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The cycles for inspiration and expiration involve controlling the pressure but also the times it is and is not applied. For normal BiPAP patients, the expiration cycle may be about twice as long as the inspiration cycle. For COPD patients, the expiration cycle may be three times as long as the inspiration cycle.
IE Ratio
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The inspiratory and expiratory cycle times can be written as a ratio, IPAP/EPAP or more simply, IE. So if a total cycle of breathing is six seconds, for a ratio of 1:2, the times are 2:4--two seconds inspiration to four seconds expiration. If the ratio is 1:3, the times are 1.5 seconds inspiration to 4.5 seconds expiration.
Two Controls
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There is one degree of control for the CPAP instrument, the pressure. BiPAP instruments have two degrees of control, namely pressure and IE ratio. In cases still more difficult, other controls may be added, such as the use of an oxygen-enriched breathing source.
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