Bipap S/T: Back Up Rate

[jdsalcedo]

I've got a few questions:
1) What does it mean if my daughter's "average" BPM is 15 and her back up rate on her Aircurve 10 is set to 12? The Tech made a comment that she always breaths over the machine. 2) Could this be why it seems as if I can hear her inhale, exhale, and then inhale,and before she can fully exhale it seems like the machine is flipping to inhale really quickly?
3) When she first started on BiPap therapy she was on oxygen, but we were able to do away with it pretty quickly; however, when we went for our yearly check in with the therapists, they gave us a different hose that is much smaller in diameter (with no port for oxygen). It is the heated CLimateLineAir, so we went from a 19mm to a 15 mm. The Pulmonologist nor the Sleep Doctor are aware of this and quite possibly the techs b/c it was the two ladies at the front that gave us our "replacement" supplies (yearly per insurance). After she has started exhibiting some symptoms, my husband and I pulled out the old ClimateLineAir Oxy (the original) and compared the way the flow feels between the 19mm and the 15mm, and it was fairly significant. Could this cause problems?
4) We are in the process of getting rid of her underbite, which means she has a palatal expander and braces. It seems like therapy hasn't been working as well since we started. When the palatal expander was being turned daily, she developed a large gap in her front teeth. The Dr turned her settings down but in a couple of weeks the braces had closed the large gap and the ortho added a large band on the front of her top teeth. When the gap closed, the events started going up again. Could the constant changing of teeth, etc., impede therapy especially when her nose is stopped up?

I really appreciate any help that can be given. Her Bipap S/T settings are currently 10/6. We had started at 16/10, then got to go to 12/6, and in September went to 10/4, back up to 10/6 and have slowly had an increase in events as well as some symptoms.

[ChicagoGranny]

We are in the process of getting rid of her underbite, which means she has a palatal expander and braces.

I can't help you with the machine, but kudos to you for doing this for your daughter.

[jdsalcedo]

Thank you...She's 17 and much stronger than I could ever hope to be...

[Sir NoddinOff]

We are in the process of getting rid of her underbite, which means she has a palatal expander and braces.

I can't help you with the machine, but kudos to you for doing this for your daughter.

I can't help you with that machine either, but I'll second that motion. <clapping>

Re-edit your initial subject line to add BiPap S/T, that will get the attention of people with that machine.

You are throwing quite a lot at your daughter all at once with the CPAP and the dental corrections... any big reason to do it all at once.

[palerider]

I've got a few questions:

your title says "bipap S/T" which is a respironics machine, but the equipment you've selected is a resmed aircurve S, what equipment does your daughter actually have?

1) What does it mean if my daughter's "average" BPM is 15 and her back up rate on her Aircurve 10 is set to 12? The Tech made a comment that she always breaths over the machine.[/quote]
the backup rate should be set a little below a person's normal RR, so that normally, the machine just follows along (in ST mode) and if they don't breath, having a central apnea, then the machine will trigger a breath. is the machine in ST mode?

2) Could this be why it seems as if I can hear her inhale, exhale, and then inhale,and before she can fully exhale it seems like the machine is flipping to inhale really quickly?

could be, see question 1.

3) When she first started on BiPap therapy she was on oxygen, but we were able to do away with it pretty quickly; however, when we went for our yearly check in with the therapists, they gave us a different hose that is much smaller in diameter (with no port for oxygen). It is the heated CLimateLineAir, so we went from a 19mm to a 15 mm. The Pulmonologist nor the Sleep Doctor are aware of this and quite possibly the techs b/c it was the two ladies at the front that gave us our "replacement" supplies (yearly per insurance). After she has started exhibiting some symptoms, my husband and I pulled out the old ClimateLineAir Oxy (the original) and compared the way the flow feels between the 19mm and the 15mm, and it was fairly significant. Could this cause problems?

it shouldn't, the rate that air blows out of the hose has nothing to do with therapy delivery, there's more resistance to flow in the slimline hose, which the machine compensates for, the large hose is better for people with very high bilevel pressures (20+) though it can be used by anyody.

4) We are in the process of getting rid of her underbite, which means she has a palatal expander and braces. It seems like therapy hasn't been working as well since we started. When the palatal expander was being turned daily, she developed a large gap in her front teeth. The Dr turned her settings down but in a couple of weeks the braces had closed the large gap and the ortho added a large band on the front of her top teeth. When the gap closed, the events started going up again. Could the constant changing of teeth, etc., impede therapy especially when her nose is stopped up?

a stopped up nose can impede therapy.