ANMC Sleep Center patients update: Philips Respironics recall

August 30, 2021

Important update for our ANMC Sleep Center Patients who use a Philips Respironics CPAP or BiPAP device for sleep apnea: your device may have been recalled due to possible break-down of sound-insulating foam inside these devices which may cause health problems. Please contact your Durable Medical Equipment provider (or DME, where you get your device supplies) as soon as possible to find out what you should do next about your equipment.

If not using your device for sleep apnea, undertake other measures including:

• Avoid alcohol, sedatives and other nervous system depressants that may worsen snoring and/or disrupt normal sleep architecture.
• Recommend positional therapy for sleep apnea: sleep on your sides and try to avoid sleeping on your back.
• Weight management and regular exercise should be initiated or continued to help with sleep apnea.
• Measures to better enable nasal breathing may help and include: consider head of bed elevation, consider use of a clean humidifier in the room, consider Breathe Rite strips.

Further recommendations below may apply.

• __x__ If you have drowsy driving without PAP, continue CPAP with further recommendations below.
• _____Your apnea is mild to start. If you do not have dangerous drowsy driving without CPAP, please stop CPAP until your device has been replaced.
• ______Your apnea is mild but you have other serious medical problems and your apnea should be treated. Continue CPAP with further recommendations below.
• ______Your apnea is moderate/severe. Continue CPAP with further recommendations below.

If checked above, the benefits may outweigh the risks of continuing to use your Philips Respironics CPAP or BiPAP device until it is replaced. If you continue to use your Philips Respironics device, please take the following precautions:

• Proceed with replacing device through your DME or Philips, as soon as possible.
• Do not use ozone cleaner devices as these are not FDA approved and may contribute to break-down of the sound insulating foam in the devices.
• Follow the cleaning procedures otherwise as recommended by the manufacturer (for questions on this, contact your DME or consult your device handbook).
• Try to keep your device in a climate-controlled environment as well as you can, as the foam degradation appears to be related to environments high in heat and/or humidity (not related to how the device tube heat or humidity is set).
• Otherwise replace your CPAP or BiPAP device as allowed by any insurance coverage, which typically is after 5 years.

If you have questions on the above or you do not know what category you fall in above, contact your doctor; it may be easiest to do so through MyHealth, ANMC's online patient portal.

Thank you,

ANMC Sleep Center

907-729-8141 or through MyHealth, ANMC's online patient portal

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