i don't think you were given a cpap machine but rather a different type of positive pressure respiratory or even a nebulizer. the cpap is really used for sleep apnea and is not intended for "emergency use". paramedics are well-trained for respiratory support during transport and ambulances are well equipped with oxygen. please request your er records to see your admitting and discharge diagnosis since many episodes of shortness of breath are really hyperventilation associated with anxiety (since you thought you were suffocating). this type is not life-threatening but can be very frightening.
availablity of cpap in an emergency. . recently i was transported to the hospital on a 911 call. i was experiencing severe shortness of breath. the one-hour ordeal before i reached the hospital had me worried i might suffocate. . once at the hospital i was given a cpap machine and it resolved the issue after a few hours. i may not be so fortunate if it were to reoccur. are paramedics not trained for this? are ambulances not equipped to deal with shortness of breath? was my circumstances out of the ordinary for a 911 matter? . . . .