Bilevel positive airway pressure

Bilevel positive airway pressure (BPAP), commonly referred to by the trademarked names BiPAP and BIPAP, is a form of non-invasive mechanical pressure support ventilation that uses a time-cycled or flow-cycled change between two different applied levels of positive airway pressure.

Bilevel positive airway pressure is used when positive airway pressure is needed with the addition of pressure support. Common situations where positive airway pressure is indicated are those where taking a breath is difficult. These include pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and status asthmaticus.

BPAP is different from continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), which applies a single level of positive airway pressure throughout the whole respiratory cycle and is used for different clinical conditions.