lliann wrote:Wow. thank you. I think I get it. I wonder if sometimes because I am not used to the terminology yet, my brain stops at the word.
Yep. That happens.
You ask about the settings. First of all, do you know
all of the settings you are using in VPAP S mode? If not, then it would be wise to write down
ALL the VPAP S settings in case you need to go "backwards" so to speak.
At any rate, here's what I think about what you should do with the VPAP Auto settings:
so in the auto screen:
mode- change to vauto
Yes, this will need to be done in order to use Auto mode.
max ipap- change to 17
min epap- change to 14
PS- set at zero...I should change to 4?
Yes. Change max ipap = 17, min epap = 14, and ps = 4.
[With PS = 0, all you've got is a glorified and expensive APAP machine rather than a VPAP Auto since PS = 0 means IPAP = EPAP all night long.]
Ti max- 2 (?)
Ti min- .3 (?)
Trigger- high(?)
Cycle- high(?)
I would compare these settings to the same Ti max, Ti min, Trigger, and Cycle settings you are currently using in VPAP S mode. These settings control
how the machine changes from EPAP to IPAP and from IPAP to EPAP. So VPAP S also should have them.
I believe the default settings are Ti Max = 2; Ti Min = .3; Trigger = Med; Cycle = Med. Ti Max and Ti Min are measured in seconds; they represent the longest and shortest allowable times for the pressure to be at IPAP. If your inhalations often run longer than 2 seconds you may need to increase Ti Max some; otherwise the pressure may drop to EPAP while you are still inhaling.
Trigger controls when the machine will change from EPAP to IPAP; when set to HIGH it will trigger the change from EPAP to IPAP earlier in the inhalation than when it is set to MED.
Cycle controls when the machine will change from IPAP to EPAP; when set to HIGH it will trigger the change from IPAP to EPAP earlier in the exhalation than when it is set to MED.
max ramp- 45 min (oo question, if I put the mask and machine on, does it interpret data during the ramp or only once it stops?)
I'd set the ramp up the same way you have it set up in VPAP S mode. But to answer your question: Resmed machines do NOT flag events that happen during the ramp period. Nor will a Resmed machine running in Auto adjust the pressure upward if several events happen very close together when you are still in the ramp period.
Start Epap- 4 (I think I may be confusing this with the PS?
You may indeed be confusing Start EPAP and PS. Start EPAP is the starting RAMP pressure. If you don't use the ramp (i.e. RAMP time = 0), then Start EPAP is irrelevant.
The PS is the numerical limitation of pressure variation possible within the set setting? But only down for max and up for min?
Not quite. PS = IPAP - EPAP. It's the difference between the EPAP and IPAP pressure. So if EPAP = 11cm and PS = 4, then IPAP will be 11+4 = 15cm. On the Resmed VPAP, the PS is the
constant difference between IPAP and EPAP even when you are running in Auto mode.
To make it clearer: If min EPAP = 10, max IPAP = 17, and PS = 4, then min IPAP = 14 and max EPAP = 13 and the possible pressure combinations are:
EPAP = 10 and IPAP = 10 + 4 = 14
EPAP = 11 and IPAP = 11 + 4 = 15
EPAP = 12 and IPAP = 12 + 4 = 16
EPAP = 13 and IPAP = 13 + 4 = 17
But if min EPAP = 10, max IPAP = 17, and PS = 3, then min IPAP = 13 and max EPAP = 14 and the possible pressure combinations are:
EPAP = 10 and IPAP = 10 + 3 = 13
EPAP = 11 and IPAP = 11 + 3 = 14
EPAP = 12 and IPAP = 12 + 3 = 15
EPAP = 13 and IPAP = 13 + 3 = 16
EPAP = 14 and IPAP = 14 + 3 = 17
Since your current pressures are IPAP = 14 and EPAP = 10, you are used to a PS = 4, and that's why I'd suggest setting PS = 4 in VAUTO mode.
I finally picked up an oxymeter. How do I set that up on my machine because I bet the oxygen levels are a whole other thing.
That's something someone else will have to help you with since I don't use an oxymeter.