| Bilevel | - Widely available
- Can provide inspiratory pressure support to augment tidal volume (ie, active ventilation)
- Leak tolerant
- A lower mean airway pressure when treating OSA, which may lead to better tolerance of the therapy
- Better respiratory muscle rest
- More rapid improvement of respiratory acidosis
| - Tidal volume may be limited by patient-related factors
- Potential for patient-ventilator asynchrony and associated ineffective ventilation
- Potential for persistent hypoventilation due to development of central apneas (can be avoided if using S/T mode), ineffective triggering of IPAP, or tidal volume limitation due to severe residual upper airway obstruction (ie, obstructive apneas/hypopneas) or decreased respiratory system compliance
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