Can different masks provide different AHI data

Hello all,

Question for you... can you get different AHI data results from different masks. Ie) Lets say for the sake of the argument we have two full face masks a patient is using during the night. The patient achieves the same leak rate of very low on both masks (0% leak). Their cpap machine is on the same exact settings/pressure for both nights. Is it possible for one mask to delivery a better AHI reading than another?

Thanks all,

Nick

Should be exactly the same, but impossible to compare. Breathing is not the same from night to night.

kahuna15146 wrote:Hello all,

Question for you... can you get different AHI data results from different masks. Ie) Lets say for the sake of the argument we have two full face masks a patient is using during the night. The patient achieves the same leak rate of very low on both masks (0% leak). Their cpap machine is on the same exact settings/pressure for both nights. Is it possible for one mask to delivery a better AHI reading than another?

Thanks all,

Nick

You haven't mentioned if the masks are identical or if this is actual or hypothetical?

FFM's push on the jaw. It's possible that FFM's will cause the jaw to slide back a bit and increase your AHI. This might differ from mask to mask or from different headgear adjustments on the same mask.

My FFM doesn't push anything... and I don't think you should generalize, especially when newbies are already bombarded with how lousy FFMs are by those who've had only bad experiences with them, though plenty of us are quite happy with them.

I meant for example:

I have a redmes airfit f10. Is it possible to get a better AHI with another full face mask if you leave your cpap settings the same. I felt like I got a better night sleep with the Amara but it crushed the top of my nose so I can't wear it.

kahuna15146 wrote:I meant for example:

I have a redmes airfit f10. Is it possible to get a better AHI with another full face mask if you leave your cpap settings the same. I felt like I got a better night sleep with the Amara but it crushed the top of my nose so I can't wear it.

I say yes things can vary when you change a mask. the leak rate alone can vary and change the delivery pressure. the fit on your face can also be different. not sure all this helps you tho?

I did a study on 3 different masks. Each study was conducted for 10 days. Except the mask type declaration on the machine, all settings are the same. Here are my results. This study stopped my pulmonologist from increasing my pressures.

Your mileage may vary.
I hope this may help.

SGearhart wrote:I did a study on 3 different masks. Each study was conducted for 10 days. Except the mask type declaration on the machine, all settings are the same. Here are my results. This study stopped my pulmonologist from increasing my pressures.

I wish you had included the pressures used as that can have a direct impact on events detection - meaning some events are not detected when the leak rate is high as in the P10 column.

However, I do think that using nasal pillows does help reduce events just have to be fair about the leak rate.

In response to Guest's post, All masks were set at 10cmH2O.

Guest wrote:

SGearhart wrote:I did a study on 3 different masks. Each study was conducted for 10 days. Except the mask type declaration on the machine, all settings are the same. Here are my results. This study stopped my pulmonologist from increasing my pressures.

I wish you had included the pressures used as that can have a direct impact on events detection - meaning some events are not detected when the leak rate is high as in the P10 column.

However, I do think that using nasal pillows does help reduce events just have to be fair about the leak rate.

max leak rates are pretty meaningless. that could be .01% of the night at that max.

95% numbers would be even better, however, the fact that the zero average on that 127lpm max gives some idea of how little effect it had.

palerider wrote: max leak rates are pretty meaningless. that could be .01% of the night at that max.

95% numbers would be even better,

Certainly true and the avg & min column both had zero so no help there.
But Resmed indicates that at a pressure of 10 cm the leak should be somewhere around 32L/min - to me that makes the P10 results a bit suspect.

I think it is worth repeating this experiment with more details to see if results are repeatable.

I'd be interested in that same study with all nasal pillows masks or all full face masks. It did seem when I started on the Nuance Nasal mask (vs my resmed FFM) I got a lower AHI, but it didn't reflect how I physically felt, which was like shit.

OK, for PaleRider's request here are the 95%'s: 0.00, 1.80, and 0.00. These are listed in the same order as they appear in the printout.

As far as repeating the study, I don't think so. Based on my interrupted or lack of sleep using the first mask, I was ready to go to war with anybody that said; "Good Morning". This lead me to start exploring other masks before I threw the CPAP out the window. Now, I'm a happy camper.

Guest wrote: Certainly true and the avg & min column both had zero so no help there.
But Resmed indicates that at a pressure of 10 cm the leak should be somewhere around 32L/min - to me that makes the P10 results a bit suspect.

not when you rememeber that resmed machines report excess, not total leak.