Respironics BiPAP S/T question

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babydoss
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Respironics BiPAP S/T question

Post by babydoss » Sun Mar 25, 2007 3:20 pm

Does this model come with an automatic standby when you disconnect the hose temporarily to go to the bathroom? It seems a pain to turn off the machine then have to start all over again when a person gets back.


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Goofproof
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Post by Goofproof » Sun Mar 25, 2007 4:46 pm

If you count on the data being correct, use the on/off button. If not it can probably be set in the provider menu. Jim
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dsm
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Re: Respironics BiPAP S/T question

Post by dsm » Sun Mar 25, 2007 5:04 pm

[quote="babydoss"]Does this model come with an automatic standby when you disconnect the hose temporarily to go to the bathroom? It seems a pain to turn off the machine then have to start all over again when a person gets back.

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babydoss
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Post by babydoss » Sun Mar 25, 2007 5:41 pm

Doug, he does have the EXACT model you have pictured.

What is the procedure one should use if you have to get up to go to the bathroom at night?

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dsm
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Post by dsm » Sun Mar 25, 2007 5:46 pm

Lee,

Normally just hit the blower on off button.

If you like I will use my Bipap S/T tonight & will deliberately get up at some point in the night & go through the on/off steps.

Best way I know to get a feel for what might be happening.

(I will have to negotiate with my wife as she gets bothered if I change machines - but because the Bipap S/T noise is very consistent I am sure I can convince her to let me do it for one or two nights).

DSM

(My BP330 is just soooo quiet. Just a big pity it doesn't record nightly data)

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babydoss
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Post by babydoss » Sun Mar 25, 2007 6:32 pm

You are SO sweet to offer that.

I just spoke w/ my husband to let him know that I was reading in the literature that if you have to get up in the middle of the night, you should FIRST turn off the machine (blower) then disconnect the tube. Then when you get back into bed, hook up the tube to the mask and then turn ON the blower. He's pretty sure that's what he did last nite, but we are double checking EVERY thing before we rule that the machine is faulty.

Thank you so much for your continued support... Lee

babydoss
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Post by babydoss » Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:04 pm

I just went thru the video located on your site for the BiPAP S/T at cpaptalk-cpap-video-movie.php?videos=video&VGID=72

It was GREAT!! Answered a LOT of my questions!!

Lee


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dsm
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Post by dsm » Mon Mar 26, 2007 4:50 am

Lee,

I didn't get to use the machine all night (I forgot it was just that much noisier than the PB330 & lost out on the negotiations with my wife to let me use it), but, I did spend some time trialling a few different things.

1) YES I was able to get it to trigger its alarm after using it for a while then coming back and reactivating it.

While I was doing these tests I had a pressure guage fitted so I could see what was happening (was the machine still trying to deliver the correct pressure).

It seems it was. What triggered the alarm seemed to be the change in breathing, it seemed to happen when I did a relaxed & slow breathing out soon after turning the blower back on. What the alarm is for is that the machine thinks an Apnea is occuring (the machine considers the user is not breathing). The Apnea alarm (1st setting after risetime) can be set to 0 (off) or 10, or 20 or 30 seconds.

The pressure guage showed everything was quite normal. So my answer to this problem ! - just turn off the apnea alarm off (set it to 0) or if you want it on for any reason set it to 30 secs.

Perhaps you accidentally turned it on - it sure isn't needed if as happened in my case, there was no apnea happening.

I hope this is the answer you needed.

Cheers

DSM

PS I set the machine for the tests as follows ...

0) Mode Bipap S/T
1) ipap 14
2) epap 10
3) risetime 2 (6 was far to slow & really does reduce the ventilation)
4) Insp time 2.2s

Other than the alarm going off. It worked pretty well.
D

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babydoss
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Post by babydoss » Mon Mar 26, 2007 5:09 am

Hi DSM, well night #5 did NOT go well. I DID figure out how to turn off the alarm before he went to bed by watching the video for the S/T provided on this WONDERFUL website by the manufacturer. I turned it to ZERO. The vidoe was VERY insightful.

First hubby plugged in machine. I thought to unplug it for a while before bed thinking that things could "reboot" kind of like a computer. The first thing that he noticed was that the pressure was low. The ramp pressure is supposed to start out at 6. He did NOT look at the pressure (darn him!) but he said that it felt about 1/2 of what it should be. He said that the pressure NEVER increased, but slowly decreased over the next 45 minutes or so. He said that he felt that it would have just stopped if he gone any longer. He got frustrated and just took it off.

I feel SO bad for him. He is REALLY trying this and to get a bum machine right from the start is really frustrating!

I am going to take the machine w/ me to work today, call the DME and hopefully get someone to chk it out with a meter. Is that called a manometer DSM?

I'll let you know what happens... thanks for your undying support, Lee


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dsm
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Post by dsm » Mon Mar 26, 2007 6:09 am

Lee,

Here is the gauge & yes it is a manometer
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/guage- ... ssure.html

I believe this is going to turn out to be something simple that we are missing. These machines are so well built that I can't believe it is just fading.

I do know that in the early hours I would often wake & think my machine was not on but my gauges & dials & other monitoring devices always showed the machines to be working just fine. Many people have experienced this 'my machine is not working' phenomenon. It really does seem like it is not pumping air. Maybe this is a factor - maybe not.

Cheers

Doug

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babydoss
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Post by babydoss » Mon Mar 26, 2007 5:56 pm

Well, I had the Respiratory Therapist come check out the machine today. Are you surprised to hear that "nothing is wrong"? All the pressures were dead on right.

I didn't feel comfortable with that answer so I called the Sleep Lab at UNC Chapel Hill Hospital where my hubby had his test done and a REALLY nice sleep tech supervisor suggested that I bring the machine over to the lab after I got off work today for her to check out.

I arrived at about 5:30pm. We hooked it up and at first she saw nothing. But guess what? When she hit the pressure control switch TOO quick one time, the machine DID turn on, but it seemed a little slow. This seemed to mimick what my hubby was talking about.

She surmised that maybe by pressing the switch TWO times in such a quick manner this could have thrown off the "cycling" of the machine and basically left itself scratching it's head going "now what DO you want me to do?" Maybe this could be the mysterious cause of our "problem".

It DOES make sense because my hubby has BIG fingers. We'll see!

She also suggested that if he gets up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom to just leave the machine on and lay the mask on the bed. I had turned the alarm off so that won't be a problem.

I will tell you this though. Hubby said that he is NOT crazy and if the darn machine acts up ONE more time, we will be calling the DME to come switch it out for another one! Sounds like a plan to me!!

Off we go to night #6! Wish us luck!!

Thanks all, Lee


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dsm
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Post by dsm » Mon Mar 26, 2007 6:01 pm

Good luck Lee - I really hope it all turns out well.

These machines can be challenging - so much to comprehend & react to

DSM
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babydoss
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Post by babydoss » Mon Mar 26, 2007 6:07 pm

One more question...Is it ok if the humidifier (and machine) is on a nightstand even with one's head?

Something I read stated that it should be below your head.


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Post by GeneS » Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:18 pm

I never sleep with my humidifier near level because if something should tip the humidifier so that water entered the outlet tubing you do not want it to be pumped to your nose. Each 2.54 cm of cpap pressure can raise water an inch. If I run at 20 cm water could rise about 8" above the humidifier level. If I place the humidifier on the floor water cannot rise to the level of my nose. It probably wont happen but why take a chance on something unusual happening.

GeneS


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dsm
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Post by dsm » Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:12 pm

Lee,

Just from my own experience, have never had a problem with H/H apart from the very occasional dripping due to filling it too fast.

Have used over 2 years :- Respironics H/H, Resmed 2i & 3i H/H, Puritan Bennet 420S H/H, F&P HC221 with H/H, & longest of all a stand-alone F&P HC150 H/H.

All at head level (well actually, a bit lower than head level) on a small side table with drawers similar to what most use. You may be able to see that my PB330 sits on two large books. I also have (but removed for this photo) an ex hospital Pulse Oximeter that is always there in front of the PB330 as well. IMHO If the hose is anchored to a bed post, you are pretty safe.

Here is a recent pic showing my PB330 & F&P150 H/H (click any of the 4 pics) ...

http://www.internetage.com/cpapinfo/com ... index.html

This link is showing one of OfferRocker's hand embroidered comfort sleeve hose covers.

DSM

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Last edited by dsm on Mon Mar 26, 2007 11:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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