blood 02 levels?

vesselpessel · Post by **vesselpessel** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 6:32 pm

Is it safe to ASSUME that if you've been relatively successful on CPAP therapy (who is ever perfectly successful?) then your blood O2 levels have risen correspondingly? My doc, a regular GP says Yes (Kaiser has no sleep docs in my area) When I was first tested my levels were 82 -not great.

RipVW · Post by **RipVW** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 6:45 pm

Since the damaging effect of apnea events is oxygen desaturation, I consider normal blood-oxygen saturation level (based on overnight measurements on one-second intervals) as an indicator that my CPAP therapy is effective. So, I'd agree with your GP.

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 6:48 pm

One can never assume, only an overnight oximetry could indicate for sure. BUT - if you are doing well w/CPAP therapy then your 02 sats most likely are okay. A lot depends on what your baseline 02 was and even more importantly how many apneas you are still encountering and how long they last before the CPAP pressure stops them.

You don't say what brand and model of xPAP you are using so we have no way of knowing if it is a fully data capable xPAP or not. You really would need to know your AHI and especially AI to add some confidence to our assumption of adequate 02 saturation w/current xPAP therapy.

You might want to go back into your profile (top of the page) and scroll down near the bottom and indicate which machine, mask, humidifier you are using so that it will appear in each of your posts much like a sig. Then you will not have to tell or remind us which equipment you are using and what software, if any, your are using.

coldnose · Post by **coldnose** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:31 pm

I had two studies. On my first my pre sleep O2 baseline was 92% and during sleep my O2 destat was 59% (AHI was 80), scarey. On my second which was a titration, my baseline was 95% and my destat was 90%. A big difference and I can really tell, I feel so much better. So I believe XPAP makes a big difference and really does help the O2 desat level.

Sleep Well!

---gary

Gerald · Post by **Gerald** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:09 pm

Our O2 blood saturation level should be 93% or above....all night....every night. The only way to know for sure that our CPAP machines are actually doing their jobs....is to measure our O2 levels with recording Oximeters.

A low AHI score is an "indication" that all's well....and that our O2 levels are where they are supposed to be. But, we can't know for sure....unless we hang a gauge (Oximeter) on ourselves to actually check it.

Gerald

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Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:46 am

the only way to be sure is to check it with a recording pulse oximeter, your DME can probably loan you one to find out.

but the magic number is <89% below that is where it becomes medically significant.

If you didn't have a titration due to Kaiser, it may be in your interest to pursue knowing how you do on cpap (level should be sustained above >89% at all times, i.e. cpap therapy should keep it above that level).