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I use a ResMed VPAP S with a Quattro FX full face mask. Each morning I check my numbers and have noticed that when the mask leakage number is low my AHI is high. For example

Leakage Rate       AHI

    0.14                 3.2

    0.00                 6.9

    0.24                 2.8

    0.04                 9.4

 

I can't make sense of this pattern. What is my machine trying to tell me?

 

Thanks

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Those are average numbers over the entire night and are limited in their utility. Drawing conclusions from these numbers is problematic.

Do you have the ResScan software? The nightly detail report showing minute-by-minute when the breathing events are happening and what the leak rate is at that time are much more useful.

It is quite common to have clusters of events or clusters of leaks. For instance, if you slept 7 hours the night you had 6.9 events per hour (AHI), you could have had two clusters of 24 and 25 events in say two periods of 45 minutes and no events in the other five and a half hours.

Software is invaluable in my experience with troubleshooting and optimizing one's therapy.

i will not argue against banyon on the need for the software. However those numbers are good.

AHI was still a little high on a couple of nights, but that just may take time to settle down. Leaks seem acceptable. I won't argue against the importance of software for more closely examining the issues.  I gave up on using my software, however.  For me the nightly data from the machine is sufficient.  I am just not personally a CPAP geek (nothing implied here), I admire people intererested and involved in their therapy who take the trouble to use the software.  I guess I am just lazy.

It is very interesting to see the physical evidence of how (in cliusters?) your apneas and hypopneas occurred and how long they lasted.

Reply by RockRpsgt 21 hours ago

 However those numbers are good.

 

They may be good enough for a sleep professional but not good enough for the patient. LOL.

Another example for you: The night showing AHI of 9.4. If he slept 7 hours that means he had about 65 events. What if all 65 of those events happened in a one hour period? That kind of therapy is totally unacceptable to me.

What if the 65 events were well distributed over the night but many of them were 90 seconds or longer? That is horrible therapy.

Repeating my point, you cannot accurately judge the effectiveness of Tom's therapy by summary data.

The detail software report gives you more critical information that can many times be used to make large improvements in one's therapy and consequently quality of life.

 

 

I have a VPAP S and the Rescan software I have doesn't give me the granularity you speak of; I wish it did.  Thanks for your comments

Banyon said:

Those are average numbers over the entire night and are limited in their utility. Drawing conclusions from these numbers is problematic.

Do you have the ResScan software? The nightly detail report showing minute-by-minute when the breathing events are happening and what the leak rate is at that time are much more useful.

It is quite common to have clusters of events or clusters of leaks. For instance, if you slept 7 hours the night you had 6.9 events per hour (AHI), you could have had two clusters of 24 and 25 events in say two periods of 45 minutes and no events in the other five and a half hours.

Software is invaluable in my experience with troubleshooting and optimizing one's therapy.

I'm not complaining about the numbers rather I suspect that Leakage and AHI are related some how.

Thanks for your reply.

RockRpsgt said:

i will not argue against banyon on the need for the software. However those numbers are good.

Hi Mary, long time no see... Even with the cable I got from you I don't think the VPAP S will provide the kind of data that Rock and Banyon are referring to; would you concur with that assesment? Hope all is well with you, Tom

Mary Z said:

AHI was still a little high on a couple of nights, but that just may take time to settle down. Leaks seem acceptable. I won't argue against the importance of software for more closely examining the issues.  I gave up on using my software, however.  For me the nightly data from the machine is sufficient.  I am just not personally a CPAP geek (nothing implied here), I admire people intererested and involved in their therapy who take the trouble to use the software.  I guess I am just lazy.

It is very interesting to see the physical evidence of how (in cliusters?) your apneas and hypopneas occurred and how long they lasted.

But I need an S9 to get that kind of data, yes?

Banyon said:

Reply by RockRpsgt 21 hours ago

 However those numbers are good.

 

They may be good enough for a sleep professional but not good enough for the patient. LOL.

Another example for you: The night showing AHI of 9.4. If he slept 7 hours that means he had about 65 events. What if all 65 of those events happened in a one hour period? That kind of therapy is totally unacceptable to me.

What if the 65 events were well distributed over the night but many of them were 90 seconds or longer? That is horrible therapy.

Repeating my point, you cannot accurately judge the effectiveness of Tom's therapy by summary data.

The detail software report gives you more critical information that can many times be used to make large improvements in one's therapy and consequently quality of life.

 

 

Reply by Tom Cannon 11 hours ago

I have a VPAP S and the Rescan software I have doesn't give me the granularity you speak of; I wish it did.

 

Find the exact model of machine in the table in the link below and see if there is a check mark in the column ResScan Version 3.14. Let me know your findings.

 

http://www.resmed.com/assets/documents/service_support/device_compa...

Tom, my ST A did not give AHI and AI data.  These were reported as 0.0, instead of "no data" which was very confusing.  I knew that night after night I did not have a 0.0 AHI.  I finally got an email from ResMed where they did confirm that the ST A US version did not report AI and AHI.  For that machine I used the nine pin null modem cable to download data, not the ResScan cable.

I did see it written that AI and AHI were recorded, but it was not true for that machine.

 

Welcome back, Tom.

How long has he been on PAP? What was his original AHI? Without those numbers you can't evaluate anything with any amount of data. Tom wanted to know what those numbers meant. Rather than giving an explanation you used it to push your agenda.  Which by the way I support. ;)

 

I stand behind my comment: Those numbers are good! Could they be better? Yes!

 

How do you feel Tom?

 

Unlike others I am not here to push an agenda. I am here to help. Making tacky pokes at sleep professionals is one thing. Making them at someone who has done nothing but show support is another. I ask you once again to save them for those whom to deserve it. LOL!

Banyon said:

Reply by RockRpsgt 21 hours ago

 However those numbers are good.

 

They may be good enough for a sleep professional but not good enough for the patient. LOL.

Another example for you: The night showing AHI of 9.4. If he slept 7 hours that means he had about 65 events. What if all 65 of those events happened in a one hour period? That kind of therapy is totally unacceptable to me.

What if the 65 events were well distributed over the night but many of them were 90 seconds or longer? That is horrible therapy.

Repeating my point, you cannot accurately judge the effectiveness of Tom's therapy by summary data.

The detail software report gives you more critical information that can many times be used to make large improvements in one's therapy and consequently quality of life.

 

 

Your leak rates are within a normal range. Banyon is correct in that these numbers are just a summary. They do little to show any type of trends.

Tom Cannon said:

I'm not complaining about the numbers rather I suspect that Leakage and AHI are related some how.

Thanks for your reply.

RockRpsgt said:

i will not argue against banyon on the need for the software. However those numbers are good.

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