Large leak reported even though leak rate is small. (Huh??)

Hi there.

I'm a new BiPAP user and have been scouring the internet to find an answer to this, but to no avail. I'm using SleepyHead software to look at my data each night. It turns out that I am having large leaks for about 2 hours at a time, yet, for that same time period the leak rate shown (on the leak rate graph) is minimal. How is this possible? Isn't it a contradiction? Bear in mind that the machine does show some leak rate--that is, it's not showing a perfectly flat line--so the machine definitely is picking up leak data instead of turning off leak data collection (and reporting a value of 0 leakage during that time).

Thanks for your help!

Josh

Please post an image of the detailed daily graphs showing what you are talking about.
Don't know how? We talk about it here.
Screen shot thread viewtopic.php?f=1&t=81072&p=737779#p737779

Please fill in your equipment data, so we can know what type of equipment you have. Since all machines are different and without knowing your brand... Resmed can compensate for mask vents and leak rates under 24 L/min. The report out is "unintentional" leak rates.

Sheriff

Thanks, guys. Being a technical writer, I definitely know how to take a screen shot. Now, if I only knew why they include that cup holder that mysteriously slides in and out of the computer... I'll take the screenshot and post it when I get home. Thanks again!

OK, guys. I've posted my machine information in the signature. Here is a screenshot from SleepyHead of what I'm talking about. Notice how I have very large duration large leaks, and yet the leak rate shown is non-zero but minimal, which seems to be contradictory: http://joshgoldstein.org/cpap_pictures/LargeLeak.tiff

I wasn't able to figure out how to insert the image inline in my previous post, but I was able to post it as a URL. Hope you guys are able to see it. Thanks in advance.

JSG wrote:I wasn't able to figure out how to insert the image inline in my previous post, but I was able to post it as a URL. Hope you guys are able to see it. Thanks in advance.

I don't think web browsers deal well with tiffs... they prefer gifs, jpgs and pngs

Thanks, Krelvin and Palerider. I'm still hoping someone will eventually have an answer to my question. Any ideas?

JSG wrote:OK, guys. I've posted my machine information in the signature. Here is a screenshot from SleepyHead of what I'm talking about. Notice how I have very large duration large leaks, and yet the leak rate shown is non-zero but minimal, which seems to be contradictory

actually, your leaks are literally off the chart. the bottom line is a guess from sleepyhead about excess leakage, the top line, that's going off the top of the chart, is the total leak line, it should be closer to 50lpm, not well over 120.

I'm seeing two leak lines. One in the normal range and one at the too that sometimes goes off the chart. I don't understand why there are two lines like that, but I suspect that is what is being reported. Pugsy will probably know why.

zoocrewphoto wrote:I don't understand why there are two lines like that, but I suspect that is what is being reported.

read the post above yours

The leaks are massive. Whatever is going on with your leaks you need to work on them...a lot. Way more prolonged and massive leaks than I would accept and I let a lot of stuff slide.

Palerider is correct. You should see 2 leak lines and much closer together but your top leak line is so high it is off the charts a good bit of the time. Top line is total leak....excess leak plus the mask's expected vent rate.
The bottom line is supposed to be excess leak only but it may not be totally accurate. Best to base evaluations on the total leak line.

Take a look at mine below....the worst I got to was a little shy of 80 L/min and then for not very long. You should be able to easily see the top leak line.

I'm new and love reading these graphs when you all post them. Learning something new everyday!
Anyway, I don't see any events flagged?
Do you not have any?

palerider wrote:

zoocrewphoto wrote:I don't understand why there are two lines like that, but I suspect that is what is being reported.

read the post above yours

If you will look at the posting times, you will see that mine posted right after yours. It wasn't there when I started typing. And when I post from my iPod, I don't see posts that are new since I started to type a reply until I go to read the thread again.