Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine

Poignard

Poignard

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I am taking someone sailing who has to use a thing called a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine, which requires a 12 volt DC supply. Apparently it has to be run all night. He is very keen and assures me it won't present any problems but can anyone tell me :

Is it going to flatten my [one and only] 110Ah battery if we spend a few nights at anchor or do I have to head for a marina each night?

Will it make a noise?

If it goes wrong, or the battery gets run down, will he need urgent medical attention?

Should I get him to sign some kind of indemnity?
 
CPAP machines are commonly used to help people with sleep apnea. It stop them from snoring big time.

I doubt it would kill the person if they didnt have it working... but I suspect they would snore like a unsilenced chain saw.

Ask them about it.... I doubt it uses much power as it just maintains a slight positive pressure....

We have done a couple of case studies on this... it looks like a sort of face mask type breathing thing... It comes across a bit severe... I dont know how peeps manage to use them!
 
CPAP is used with people who have either acute respiratory problems eg pneumonia , or chronic respiratory problems, eg some copd's and certain ca's etc- whichever way it is definitely used for the benefit of their health!! (Remember your first aid course/CPR and the " ABC" ?- reminder: no"A" ie airway=no life; no"B" ie breathing = no life!!!! etc)

As a nurse I would not consider taking anyone needing to have CPAP sailing without specialist knowledge of the individual's needs and the exact equipment involved - "it'll be ok" doesn't work for this scenario.

The mearest suggestion of a power failure would worry me!

No reason for the person not to go sailing, but requires a lot of pre-planning if to be enjoyable and successful, or at the least safe, for all concerned.

Please PM me if you want some more detail.

Paul
 
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carise said:
CPAP is used with people who have either acute respiratory problems eg pneumonia , or chronic respiratory problems, eg some copd's and certain ca's etc- whichever way it is definitely used for the benefit of their health!!

As a nurse I would not consider taking anyone needing to have CPAP sailing without specialist knowledge of the individual's needs.

The mearest suggestion of a power failure would worry me!

No reason for the person not to go sailing, but requires a lot of pre-planning if to be enjoyable and successful, or at the least safe, for all concerned.
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____________________________________________________________________


Maybe you had better come with us! :D
 
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A lot of people suffer from sleep apnea, and have so for years, with no fatal effects, except for the possibility of their partners strangling them... The Op needs to talk to the guy and see what the score is.... I doubt if anyone with a serious ilness would be using a CPAP machine outside of a controlled enviroment..... More likely Sleep apnea... diagnosed after presistent snoring ....

But I aint a medic of course..
 
carise said:
Yes snoring can be annoying, but with apnoea it can be fatal!
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You'd better tell the NHS to change the information they provide then. They seem to think it's indirectly dangerous, rather than people dropping dead in their sleep

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Sleep-apnoea/Pages/Introduction.aspx

"OSA is a serious condition
As someone with OSA can experience a lack of proper sleep, their risk of being involved in a life-threatening accident, such as a car crash, is increased.
There is also some evidence to show that those with OSA are at greater risk of developing high blood pressure (hypertension), which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Research has shown that someone who has been deprived of sleep due to OSA has the same impairment in judgement and reaction time as someone who is over the drink-drive limit."
 
Lots of people in the community have a lot of very serious medical conditions, but manage to get on with life pretty well with the aid of some pretty bloody clever (but nevertheless complex and fragile) machinery and medications!

photodog said:
A lot of people suffer from sleep apnea, and have so for years, with no fatal effects, except for the possibility of their partners strangling them... The Op needs to talk to the guy and see what the score is.... I doubt if anyone with a serious ilness would be using a CPAP machine outside of a controlled enviroment..... More likely Sleep apnea... diagnosed after presistent snoring ....

But I aint a medic of course..
Click to expand...
 
Apnoea = "cessation of breathing" (suggest looking at decent medical dictionary or consulting a trained person rather than tinternet for any definition/detail of anything vaguely lifethreatening guys!!!), might be temporary, might be permanent!
; however, Stopping breathing is never good, not ever never!!!

BrendanS said:
You'd better tell the NHS to change the information they provide then. They seem to think it's indirectly dangerous, rather than people dropping dead in their sleep

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Sleep-apnoea/Pages/Introduction.aspx

"OSA is a serious condition
As someone with OSA can experience a lack of proper sleep, their risk of being involved in a life-threatening accident, such as a car crash, is increased.
There is also some evidence to show that those with OSA are at greater risk of developing high blood pressure (hypertension), which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Research has shown that someone who has been deprived of sleep due to OSA has the same impairment in judgement and reaction time as someone who is over the drink-drive limit."
Click to expand...
 
carise said:
Lots of people in the community have a lot of very serious medical conditions, but manage to get on with life pretty well with the aid of some pretty bloody clever (but nevertheless complex and fragile) machinery and medications!
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A excellent point!
 
carise said:
Apnoea = "cessation of breathing" (suggest looking at decent medical dictionary or consulting a trained person rather than tinternet for any definition/detail of anything vaguely lifethreatening guys!!!), might be temporary, might be permanent!
; however, Stopping breathing is never good, not ever never!!!
Click to expand...

My medical knowledge is pretty strong, I went to med school, come from a medical family, and was in science for many years, and am back there again in a fashion now. Apnoea was never to my knowledge a life threatening issue, except in a few very rare cases.
 
FFS!!!!! Apnoea = NOT BREATHING, or failing to breath effectively etc !!!!!!!!! In my world that is pretty much as close to life-threatening as you can get

However, as we obviously live in different worlds, please accept my most sincere apologies, as someone who went to medical school you would obviously be best placed to answer this, and your family being medical obviously helps (medical knowledge being hereditary don't you know??) !!!!! (p.s. I'm not sure that any doctors that I know would be referring to NHS website for their info!)

But, just to clarify, could you please explain, as a learned medically trained contributor to this conversation, which bit of a person requiring mechanical assistance for breathing e.g. CPAP ( for whatever reason) [which is not something you do unless you REALLY REALLY need to do] and that person STOPPING BREATHING , whether short term, or otherwise, might NOT be potentially life-threatening, especially when on a yacht God knows where with non-trained crew???



BrendanS said:
My medical knowledge is pretty strong, I went to med school, come from a medical family, and was in science for many years, and am back there again in a fashion now. Apnoea was never to my knowledge a life threatening issue, except in a few very rare cases.
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The nhs link was to show the information the nhs provide on the subject. Similar to many medical sites such as those dedicated to snoring eg http://www.britishsnoring.co.uk/snoring_&_sleep_apnoea/what_is_sleep_apnoea.php

As you've probably noticed, you absorb a lot of information by being around medical people. Many medical people learn a great deal this way.

Stopping breathing for a few seconds is not a life threatening problem. The sufferer wakes a little and carries on. It's the constant waking that causes the problems, and also the noise that partners have to deal with.

Most heavy snorers suffer from this to some extent, as partners will testify, as they will hear the cessation of snoring and the gasp as normal breathing resumes (or a similar pattern), and is quite a common problem

PS it's not mechanically aided breathing, it's just a small increase in air pressure to keep the airways open, which allows a good nights sleep without the constant wakening
 
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There are many conditions which require a CPAP machine and some are more serious than others so I would suggest asking him. Sleep apnoea is the most common and is unlikely to cause any problems should the cpap fail but would make the individuals nights sleep poor and probably those within earshot.
Most of the modern cpap machines are relatively quite, just a small fan really. As far as indemnity is concerned I think this is over the top. I would just explain the situation re power on board etc and that things do not always go to plan on a boat. It is then up to the individual to take responsibility for theit own lifestyle decisions.

Why dont you ask him what the consequences of your 'worst scenario' would be and if he would require any special assistance.
 
OK- I admit defeat; your medical school, medical family and scientific experience and internet research trumps my humble professional and academic background (the details of which modesty forbids me to share with others!).

However, bearing in mind that this is the PRACTICAL Boat Owner forum, I really would like you to answer the question, as previously posed, of which bit of a person requiring mechanical assistance for breathing e.g. CPAP ( for whatever reason) [which is not something you do unless you REALLY REALLY need to do] and that person STOPPING BREATHING , whether short term, or otherwise, might NOT be potentially life-threatening, especially when on a yacht God knows where with non-trained crew???
 
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It's not mechanical assistance for breathing. I'll repeat that, it's not mechanical assistance for breathing. It just mild positive pressure to keep the airways open. It's not required to keep a person alive unless they have a very rare condition. Why so you insist that it something you do unless you REALLY REALLY need to. It's about quality of life and having a good nights sleep for the vast majority of people using it, which is why they use it. You seem to be trying to create a real scare about this, using very emotive language, when it's not necessary.
 
I'll answer that... when the CPAP machine has been prescribed as a solution for chronic sleep apnea diagnosed from excessive snoring.

(Bearing in mind that sleep Apnea is not recognised on its own as a condition that is potentially fatal.)

The use of CPAP machines is becoming more and more common for this...

Though I do agree that it is encumbant upon the op to check with the passenger about his needs and weigh up any potential risks. There is no reason why a person with almost any disability should not in my opinion be able to spend time on a yacht...
 
I agree with the dog. If you send an email to the gentleman explaining the potential problems on a boat and asking if he would require any special measures then you will have a good record that you took reasonable steps. I think that is all anyone is expected to do.
 
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