Pros & Cons of Resmed / Respironics APAP

[jamesj]

I could use your opinions about these items from those who have used them,
please.
Pros and cons
Resmed S8 AutoSet II CPAP with H4i humidifier, card reader, & ResScan ver3.5 software
VS
Respironics REMstar Auto M Series A-Flex with integrated humidifier, card reader, & Respironics Encore Viewer 1.0 software
.

[dsm]

Both are basically good machines - some folk don't like the M-series humidifiers & some folk feel the HI scores on the Resmeds are higher than they would like to see in their data. The blue lights on the M-Series also bother some. The latest Resmed S8 II versions are super quiet.

Either way, they both deliver good therapy. The exhalation relief varies a bit between them. I like the Resmed EPR feature as it comes close to being a bilevel. Many folks find the M-Series C-Flex very helpful.

DSM

[rested gal]

Both are, indeed, good machines. I would get an M series machine, but I definitely wouldn't get the integrated M humidifier. I'd buy a separate heated humidifier -- the Fisher & Paykel HC 150 heated humidifier, to be exact -- which can be used with either brand of machine. For that matter, I've never much liked ResMed humidifiers either. Personally, I'd get the separate Fisher & Paykel heated humidifier to use with either brand of autopap.

As for EPR (ResMed's exhalation comfort feature) vs Respironics' C-flex and A-flex (both of which are in the M series Auto with A-flex)... I find it much easier to start each breath out while using one of the flex features than when using EPR.

A BiPAP is my primary machine, so I'm pretty familiar with the way exhaling with a bilevel machine feels compared to using EPR. Of course, anyone's experience is going to be subjective...how it feels to them. To me, the start of each exhalation with EPR has a definite resistance -- doesn't feel anywhere near like the ease of starting an exhalation with a bilevel machine. Or even as easy as starting an exhalation with C-flex or A-flex. The way all those exhalation features feel could be very different for different people, of course.

The ResMed machines excel in the breakdown of efficacy data they show in the LCD window on the machine itself. I like seeing "just last night" data which they give in addition to weekly/monthly totals. Respironics machines offer just weekly/monthly totals in the LCD data. Also, the ResMed machine breaks the AHI down into separate apnea and hypopnea totals. The Respironics machine gives just the total AHI.

If a person is going to use software to download detailed data, then the Respironics' Encore software shines, imho. But if you were never going to use software with the machine, ResMed's way of breaking down the data for display on the machine itself is better...imho.

Both are good "treatment" machines, and that's the most important thing. I don't think you'd go wrong with either one.

[Snoredog]

I'd get the Sandman Auto and software over both of those,

-more flexible with its advanced settings
-provides sleep data from the LCD
-has much better reporting software than Resmed, more accurate than Remstar, no lost days that we know of
-better designed unit with integrated humidifier
-software much easier to install and less hassle using than Encore.

Cost less than both of those. Personal experience Puritan Bennett is more likely to replace the unit than
repair it if something goes wrong with it.

[rested gal]

I'd get the Sandman Auto and software over both of those

Good thought. That's an autopap that definitely should be considered.

[mindy]

I'd get the Sandman Auto and software over both of those,

-more flexible with its advanced settings
-provides sleep data from the LCD
-has much better reporting software than Resmed, more accurate than Remstar, no lost days that we know of
-better designed unit with integrated humidifier
-software much easier to install and less hassle using than Encore.

Cost less than both of those. Personal experience Puritan Bennett is more likely to replace the unit than
repair it if something goes wrong with it.

After 2 nights on the Sandman Auto, I'm very happy. It's nice to see the basic data on the LCD first thing in the morning and when I upload my data to my computer, I get a PDF with the graphs, etc and I also use the export function to put it into a spreadsheet so I can do whatever charts and reports that I want. Also, NO BLUE LIGHTS! It is quiet and I find I don't miss CFlex or AFlex. It provides data that I'm only hazily aware of (centrals, cardiac oscillations (?), runs) but will read up and figure out and get help as needed. Oh and the software does work on 64-bit Vista if one downloads the driver from the company that makes the little "thingie" with USB port.

Humidifer seems to have plenty of capacity. So far I haven't found any negatives.

Mindy