What should a clinician do if the patient is anxious while receiving BiPAP?

When a patient is anxious while receiving BiPAP therapy, it is essential for the clinician to address the anxiety directly and ensure comfort. Calming the patient and ensuring proper mask fitting plays a crucial role in the effectiveness of noninvasive ventilation. Anxiety can significantly affect a patient's ability to tolerate the mask and the pressures delivered by the device.

If the mask does not fit properly, it can cause discomfort, skin irritation, or air leaks, which might exacerbate feelings of anxiety and hinder the overall effectiveness of the therapy. By reassuring the patient and checking the mask fit, the clinician can help reduce feelings of anxiety and promote a more positive experience with the BiPAP therapy.

Addressing the patient's comfort and anxiety is a critical part of managing BiPAP therapy. While changes in pressure settings or switching to CPAP might seem like immediate solutions, they do not address the patient's emotional state or the fundamental need for proper mask fit, which directly contributes to the patient's comfort during treatment.