Table 11.
Strength of evidence of APAP versus CPAP
| Outcomes | Number of trials | Total number | Trials with data for Meta-analysis | Meta-analysis results comparing APAP with CPAP | Favors | Strength of evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical outcomes (death, cardiovascular events and others) | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | Insufficient | |
| Compliance | 24 | 1008 | 22 | 0.18 hours (95% CI 0.05 to 0.31; P = 0.006) | APAP | Moderate |
| Apnea-Hypopnea Index | 16 | 548 | 16 | 0.25 events/hour (95% CI -0.16 to 0.66; NS) | No difference | Moderate |
| Epworth Sleepiness Scale | 22 | 954 | 18 | -0.48 (95% CI -0.81 to -0.15; P = 0.005) | APAP | Moderate |
| Arousal Index | 10 | 356 | 9 | -0.85 events/hour (95% CI -2.2 to 0.5; NS) | No difference | Moderate |
| Minimum O2 saturation | 9 | 258 | 9 | -1.3% (95% CI -2.2 to -0.4; P = 0.003) | CPAP | Moderate |
| Sleep efficiency | 3 | 126 | 0 | No difference | Insufficient | |
| Rapid eye movement sleep | 9 | 273 | 0 | No difference | Moderate | |
| Slow wave sleep | 8 | 243 | 0 | No difference in seven trials; one trial favored APAP | Moderate | |
| Quality of life | 9 | 509 | 0 | No difference in eight trials; one trial favored APAP | Moderate | |
| Blood pressure | 3 | 149 | 0 | No difference in two trials; one trial favored CPAP (decrease in diastolic blood pressure) | Insufficient |
APAP: auto-titrating CPAP; CPAP: continuous positive airway pressure; N/A: not applicable; NS: non-significant.