Please explain "Therapy Flags"

[katcw]

I'm trying to understand the data that my Encore Viewer is giving me, and have a few question.

1. Can someone explain the data in the "Therapy flags" area?
2. Can someone explain the charts at the bottom of each page?
3. Can someone explain the graph at the bottom of the last page?
4. What are the parameters for setting the minimum EPAP? I seem to be at minimum most of the time, and I wonder if it should be set lower.

Well, that's it for now -- I'm sure there will be more later. Thanks for any help anyone can offer -- you folks are the greatest!!!

[rested gal]

I'm trying to understand the data that my Encore Viewer is giving me, and have a few question.

1. Can someone explain the data in the "Therapy flags" area?

Each tick mark for Apnea, Hypopnea, Flow Limitation, or Vibratory Snore is an event that happened despite CPAP treatment. Those are events that sneaked through.... weren't prevented.

2. Can someone explain the charts at the bottom of each page?
3. Can someone explain the graph at the bottom of the last page?

Others can explain those better than I can. I never bother to look at the chart ("Daily Events per hour") below the Daily Details graph. Nor do I ever bother to look at the graph on the last page; or any of the first pages/last pages, for that matter.

All that I'm interested in seeing are the graphs called "Daily Details" that begin on page 4.

Here's a picture of the part of an Encore Viewer report that I look at, and the order in which I look at that page. Leak rate (1), AHI (2), pressure line (3). The only reason I glance at the pressure line is to see if anything unusual happened -- hoping that the minimum pressure (in this case, min EPAP) stayed down fairly steady at whatever I set it at. I've X'd out the chart that I don't even glance at:

4. What are the parameters for setting the minimum EPAP? I seem to be at minimum most of the time, and I wonder if it should be set lower.

Since you have the Encore Viewer software, you could try some lower minimum pressures if you want to. You'd see what happens on your data. And you'd know how you felt.

I believe the minimum pressure, be it the minimum pressure for an autopap, or EPAP for a bilevel, or "min EPAP" for a bipap auto being using in "auto bilevel" modem, is the more important pressure to set right. More important than setting the max.

When I'm using the bipap auto (same machine you have, kat) in auto bilevel mode, I want my min EPAP to be set high enough to prevent most apneas right from the get-go. If my min EPAP doesn't have to move up at all, that's good, imho.

Here are some of my thoughts about minimum EPAP setting -- I'm not a doctor though. Just my opinion, and I could be quite wrong:

November 2007 - EPAP is for more than just comfort exhaling.
viewtopic.php?p=227068#p227068

December 2007 - my understanding of how a bipap titration is done.
viewtopic.php?p=231786#p231786

May 2008 - discussion with RonS about importance of EPAP setting.
viewtopic.php?p=265020#p265020

[SuperGeeky]

thanks Rested Gal, that what an excellent explanation!!

Gratefully,

SG

[katcw]

Rested Gal:

Thank you so much for your explanations. I was totally off track with what I thought the EPAP settings should be, and your information is so helpful! Also on the therapy flags and helping me see I don't have to understand the charts at the bottom and the graph at the end.

I'm looking forward to seeing the results after raising my EPAP minimum pressure.

You are always so helpful to all of us. Thank you for your time, effort and understanding.