Reviews of Science for Science Librarians: The 40th Anniversary of Dr. Colin Sullivan’s Invention of Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

ABSTRACT

Obstructive sleep apneas are interruptions of sleep owing to a momentary choking off of the body’s air supply. These may occur hundreds of times during a night’s sleep, but are rarely consciously noticed by the patient. Their cumulative effects on health in the daytime can be disastrous in terms of accidents and worsening of chronic conditions. Up until the 1980s, the only cure was a permanent surgical opening in the trachea. This was superseded by the work of Australian pulmonologist, Colin Sullivan, who invented and developed a medical technology called Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) that would maintain respiration by inflating the airways so as to keep them open during sleep. Apnea continues to cause health problems and CPAP devices continue to provide solutions that help millions in the United States and tens of millions worldwide.

KEYWORDS:

• Colin Sullivan
• MD
• CPAP
• continuous positive airway pressure
• OSA
• obstructive sleep apnea