New to CPAP - what does this mean on my Snoresat?

Hi everyone, I've been learning a lot about CPAP in the past few weeks. I had a Snoresat done in Nov. of 2015 and a couple of weeks ago I mentioned to my doctor that I was never called for my next level testing (she had told me in Nov. that the wait was very long - likely a year). I told her that I was getting a lot of morning headaches and was feeling very fatigued even though I get a good 9 to 10 hours of sleep a night. She said she'd check on why it's been so long (16 mos.!). I asked for my Snoresat results and was surprised to see on there that the hospital that did it recommended at that time a trial of CPAP! My doctor didn't mention that to me at all. I could have been in treatment all this time. So frustrating. Anyway, other than they said on the Snoresat that they found mild sleep apnea I don't fully understand the following. If someone could tell me what it means in lay people language I would very much appreciate it. I "think" it means basically I have OSA, air isn't getting through because of blockage in the airway, and the severity of my OSA may be worse than the test shows because the thing they put on my finger didn't record well. Am I close? TIA

"There is intermittent cyclical oxygen desaturation associated with changes in airflow characteristic of obstructive sleep apnea.

There are episodes of intermittent flow limitation, not associated with oxygen desaturation, suggestive of increased upper airway resistance

Technical Quality it says “Severity of sleep disordered breathing has likely been underestimated: Cyclical desaturations not meeting threshold criteria (<4%) for a respiratory disturbance.

RDI likely an underestimate of severity due to sat monitor interruptions and subthreshold events."

By "Snoresat" do you mean a test looking for answers to snoring, or do you mean a regular sleep study (polysomnogram... PSG)? We're not really familiar with snoresats, but very much so the second one. If Snoresats are a particular Canadian test, I've never heard of them. From what you quoted tho', it does sound like you have apnea, or at least UARS, and the waiting time for testing and results is appalling (mine took longer than e.g. it might have in the U.S. but nothing like what you've mentioned... that's criminal!). It would be a good idea to make as much noise as you can get away with if possible - get them going!

Thanks Julie. I guess Snoresat for us is like your Level III testing. It's where you pick up some monitoring equipment to take home for the night and return it the next morning. I think they also call it Level III here too - it's just that Snoresat Interpretation is what the paper with my results was called. Unfortunately, there isn't a thing we can do about the long waits - that's our health system - great in many ways especially things like cancer or other disease - but for everything else it is wait, wait, wait or choose to go somewhere and pay privately out of pocket. Not enough doctors or facilities. In fact, my doctor said when she called to see if I was close to getting in for the overnight testing they told her they were so bogged down that they took all the people who were "mild" and put them even further down the list - I'm looking at maybe another year or so!! At least she didn't hesitate to write a prescription to get a trial going. Of course - I went and bought the machine on my own the week before! But I needed the Px anyway so I could use it to get my $500 Bluecross private coverage allowance on supplies (BC will pay $500 to cover CPAP or supplies every 60 months! Ha ha, that's $100 a year - pitiful.) But I'll use it to try different masks and get a few hoses and filters, better than nothing.

You don't get it - I'm in NB, Maritimes, but was tested and set up in NS...

Sorry Julie. I never thought to look at your profile or whatever to find that where you were from. Maybe the provinces are all different then. Or maybe I don't know the lingo - I just went by what was on my paper I got from my GP. The sleep place my doctor told me to call to set up a trial knew what I was talking about when I said Snoresat, so I thought everyone here did. But I think it's what others call initial testing or Level III testing or at home testing.

luckyduckcanuck wrote:Thanks Julie. I guess Snoresat for us is like your Level III testing. It's where you pick up some monitoring equipment to take home for the night and return it the next morning. I think they also call it Level III here too - it's just that Snoresat Interpretation is what the paper with my results was called. Unfortunately, there isn't a thing we can do about the long waits - that's our health system - great in many ways especially things like cancer or other disease - but for everything else it is wait, wait, wait or choose to go somewhere and pay privately out of pocket. Not enough doctors or facilities. In fact, my doctor said when she called to see if I was close to getting in for the overnight testing they told her they were so bogged down that they took all the people who were "mild" and put them even further down the list - I'm looking at maybe another year or so!! At least she didn't hesitate to write a prescription to get a trial going. Of course - I went and bought the machine on my own the week before! But I needed the Px anyway so I could use it to get my $500 Bluecross private coverage allowance on supplies (BC will pay $500 to cover CPAP or supplies every 60 months! Ha ha, that's $100 a year - pitiful.) But I'll use it to try different masks and get a few hoses and filters, better than nothing.

I am in Alberta (used to be in BC). When I got my first machine, Alberta didnt pay for cpaps or supplies, now they will pay every 5 years for a machine and a once a year for a mask....if... you are a poverty level senior citizen without a private plan. You think your plan is pitiful....every province is different, do some homework, you will find out what you can or cant get in other provinces. Your statement of BETTER THAN NOTHING is at least SOMETHING. You need to get on the phone and do some pushing... remember the old proverb about the squeaky wheel. Snoresat is the name of the testing company, we all just call it a home apnea test.
Good luck
Nan

luckyduckcanuck wrote: I "think" it means basically I have OSA, air isn't getting through because of blockage in the airway, and the severity of my OSA may be worse than the test shows because the thing they put on my finger didn't record well. Am I close? TIA

basically, I interpret that as saying that you've got sleep breathing problems, whether it's exactly OSA or something else, and you'd likely benefit from a cpap.

Thanks Palerider. Sounds pretty simple. I hope the CPAP/APAP works for me.

And thanks also Nanwilson. So now at least I know what Snoresat means - had no idea. I knew about the senior/low income thing (don't qualify) and I'm very glad they provide them with that - nice. And yes, for me my $500 every 5 years is SOMETHING, just what we pay in private premiums gives us such basic coverage. But ya, I shouldn't complain, could be worse.

It seems that the Snoresat test is simply a tape-recorder that you run all night with a microphone in your nostrils. I had such a test in 1999 from an ENT doctor. Snoresat is a propriety name, so I'm not sure if that's exactly what I had (but it was similar). When my primary care physician saw the results, he said I should see a neurologist sleep doctor who is a leading specialist in the field. He wanted my tested all known sleep disorders. It turned out that my case was pretty much garden variety OSA, except for the severity.