Episode 56: BiPAP vs CPAP: Siblings, Not Twins (Part 1)

CPAP and BiPAP often get lumped together in EMS—but they solve different problems. In Part 1 of this two-part series, we break down why these tools are siblings, not twins, and how choosing the right one starts with understanding what is actually failing in your patient.

This episode focuses on the physiology and fundamentals behind non-invasive ventilation. We strip it down to the basics: breathing has two jobs—getting oxygen in and getting carbon dioxide out—and CPAP and BiPAP help with those jobs in very different ways.

By the end of Part 1, even a brand-new EMT will be able to explain why they chose CPAP or BiPAP—not just what they did.

As always, if you have a story to tell—funny, wild, heartbreaking, or unforgettable—you can share it through our website. We’d love to feature it on a future episode.

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