continuous positive airway pressure

noun

|Updated on: 11 Jun 2018

Definition of continuous positive airway pressure

: a technique for relieving breathing problems (such as those associated with sleep apnea or congestive heart failure) by pumping a steady flow of air through the nose to prevent the narrowing or collapse of air passages or to help the lungs to expand —abbreviation CPAP

Recent Examples of continuous positive airway pressure from the Web

Kramer hadn’t taken his snoring seriously until he was diagnosed with sleep apnea and began sleeping with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.

— sarah gantz, Philly.com, "The high cost of getting a good night's sleep," 6 June 2018
Traditionally the only way to prevent this would be to use a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine, or a similar device.

— shari rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, "Apnea woes? New implanted device may restore uninterrupted sleep," 27 Mar. 2018
Vander Heiden ordered him a device called a CPAP, an abbreviated term for continuous positive airway pressure, to help Johnson sleep at night.

— shannon green, OrlandoSentinel.com, "UCF center Jordan Johnson treasures gift of sleep, anchors Knights’ powerful offensive line," 24 Dec. 2017
McGirr’s apnea was alleviated by a device known as a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) system, a nose-nozzle contraption that makes its wearer look a little like Darth Vader unmasked.

— david kamp, New York Times, "Exploring the Necessity and Virtue of Sleep," 10 Oct. 2017
There’s a drug-free treatment that works extremely well About 60% of people who are diagnosed with sleep apnea experience major improvement after beginning a treatment called continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, says Dr. Pack.

— Health.com, "The Conductors in Two Recent Train Crashes Had This Sleep Disorder. Here’s Why It Can Be So Dangerous," 22 Sep. 2017
Treatments often include bulky continuous positive airway pressure devices that pump air into a person's throat to keep their airway open.

— ben panko, Smithsonian, "Liquid Cats, Didgeridoo Research and More From the 2017 Ig Nobel Prizes," 15 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'continuous positive airway pressure.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of continuous positive airway pressure

1975

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Medical Dictionary

continuous positive airway pressure

noun

medical Definition of continuous positive airway pressure

The most common treatment for patients with sleep apnea is to provide continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) at the upper airway, usually through a nasal mask, during sleep.
—Jeffrey M. Drazen, The New England Journal of Medicine, 7 Feb. 2002

—abbreviation CPAP — compare positive end-expiratory pressure