an air pressure in the range 5-30 cm H2O (1.2-7.5 mPa). It can be applied to the upper airways using a full face mask or a nasal mask only (nCPAP). It is used in high-dependency units to optimize oxygen delivery to patients who are being weaned from ventilators and on patients at home with sleep apnoea syndrome. It works by improving nasopharyngeal airways, reducing the work of breathing, and preventing basal atelectasis during sleep.
Medical dictionary. 2011.