should i raise my min pressure

[DreamStalker]

nobody ever answered the question " why would you set the minimum higher the the mean?"

The mean is a statistical measure of central tendancy ... many often use the "average" to mean the statistical "mean".

In a statistically normal distribution (often interpreted as the "bell curve"), the mean is equal to the median. In a non-normal distribution, the mean does not equal the median and may be less or more than the median ... such a distribtution is said to be "skewed".

The median is also a statistical measure of central tendancy ... and means that half of the values are above the median value and half of the values are below the median.

The median is also statistaclly known as the 50th percentile ... which means that 50% of the values are above the median value and 50% of the values are below the median.

So the 90th percentile means that 90% of the values are below the 90th percentile value and 10% of the values are above 90th percentile. Apply similar logic to 95th percentile used by ResMed machines.

To answer your question more directly, it is better to set the minimum pressure so that it prevents more than the median or the mean (I would think that events are normaly distributed but I'm not sure and it really does not matter here) ... what does matter is that it is better to prevent 90% or 95% of apneas than just the average number (mean) wouldn't you agree?

[RLAUREN]

boy... you have my head spinning. Pretty simple to me. Mean says that the machine spent more time at 5.75 then above or below it. An APAP machine is made to raise the pressure to prevent the Apnea. My understanding is if the minimum is too low it takes to long for the machine to affect the Apnea. For example, if the minimum is 4 and 12 is required to prevent the event, the machine needs to go from 4 to 12. Then you might set the minimum at 8 or 9 or 10, in other words closer to the 12. Are there other factors to consider, i.e. COPD, or other problems?

[DreamStalker]

boy... you have my head spinning. Pretty simple to me. Mean says that the machine spent more time at 5.75 then above or below it. An APAP machine is made to raise the pressure to prevent the Apnea. My understanding is if the minimum is too low it takes to long for the machine to affect the Apnea. For example, if the minimum is 4 and 12 is required to prevent the event, the machine needs to go from 4 to 12. Then you might set the minimum at 8 or 9 or 10, in other words closer to the 12. Are there other factors to consider, i.e. COPD, or other problems?

Except for the 5.75 sentence, what you say is correct ... I think ... I mean, if your head truely is spinning, you need to conact one of those priests that does exorcisms, not an APAP.

If your machine has the min pressure set to 5.75 and your pressure requirements for preventing 90% of your events is 12, then yes, your min pressure is set too low and you should set it to like 10 or 11 or even 12 if you want to make sure you prevent as many events as possible. You have to balance things like comfort and leaks. Generally, as you go into higher pressures (a relative number might well be 12 cm), leaks can become more problematic and thus decrease efficacy of the treatment. Of course if you just cannot tolerate high pressures all night long that prevent you from sleeping, that is no good either. That is one of the wonderful advantages of APAPs, you can set them to more comfortable min pressures when your body does not need such high pressure and allow the APAP algorithm to adust up the pressure when you do. But as you noted, setting the min pressure too low can also decrease efficacy by not catching enough of the events or by waking you up every time the machine APAP algorithm ramps up pressure after sensing an event.

Paying attention to your data will reveal your unique pressure sensitivities and requirments ... the other good thing about data capable APAPs (and the software) and why everyone should have this type of machine as the bare minimum.

[bigk]

that may be, and i'm quite sure when i put my machine on when it was set to 4, that it did not stay at 4 for long (i'd get up and look at the screen and seconds after i put it on it would read five point something) so maybe that is why i never noticed having a problem with it set to 4.

Depends on if you have "settling" on. If Settling is on, it will deliver the minimum pressure until the settling time is passed when therapy begins.

[asylvia]

i actually keep settling off because i fall asleep pretty quickly.

[asylvia]

so since i have raised my in pressure to 6 my AHI's have decreased from 4 or so to about 2.5-3, though my leaks (which used to average 0 almost every night) have increased to about .1 or .2 every night. is this something to be worried about?