Remstar Auto Interpreting results

Fifi · Post by **Fifi** » Sun Sep 04, 2005 3:30 pm

Hi I have been away on holiday for a month, but not long before going away I received my new remstar auto, so this is all still really new to me.

While I have been away I have been downloading my data onto my lap top so I now have one months worth of info from my remstar but i am not too sure how to interpret it.

Dereks My Encore is proving very useful.

My pressure on my fixed pressure pap was 13. I have set my autopap to 11-16. I still seem to get an awful lot of snores according to Derek's My Encore as many as 76 in one night on some occasions. The snore index is coming up as anything between 1.1 and 5.9.

I am not aware of any leaks as I sleep at night but over the month my average
Max Leak is coming up as 86.7
Average 90% Leak is 56.1
Average leak is 45.9
Average large leak is 4 mins

I am also not clear about what to think about the Fraction of night in variable Breathing results which can vary from 75.0% to 7.0%.

Any help in interpreting these or help in understanding their significance and how to tweak things to get better results and hopefully feel more rested in the long run would be greatly appreciated.

Fifi · Post by **Fifi** » Sun Sep 04, 2005 6:45 pm

Anybody?

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 12:17 am

Fifi, I'm not good at figuring out data stuff. Only thing I can say is that the leak rate you're getting seems rather high. I'd be trying to figure out how to get the leaks under control. Unless.... if you're taking the mask off and leaving the machine running, perhaps that's skewing the leak rate data?

Fifi · Post by **Fifi** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 1:59 am

thanks rested gal. I used to take my mask off, but I do not do that any more, I have not done it since I have received my new machine.

Just wondering do you get similar results with yours? What are your results? Maybe I should carry out a poll as I am interested to know what results people are getting on average, But unfortunately I am not sure how to do that.

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 8:42 am

Fifi,
I don't have a Respironics, so I can't help with the details.

However, "average leaks" also include the following, which migh or might not be relevant in your case.

Mask off machine on when you get up in the middle of the night ...
Those times you leave the machine blowing to dry your mask or hose,

O.

frostman · Post by **frostman** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 4:21 pm

I am just learning also, here are my figures to compare to yours.
Average Snore Index 5.7
Average Leak 29.5
Average Max Leak 97.5
Average 90% Leak 34.4
Average Large Leak 0 mins.

One thing I learned that can effect the leak rate is mouth breathing. I didn't think I did, but during REM sleep I must cause I woke up a few times and air was going out my mouth. I do have problems with my mirage activa, don't know why it seems to leak around the lower corners, Its such a comforable mask. I am working on it

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 6:10 pm

First of all, Fifi, excuse me for one moment...I'll be back to you in a sec...

Rested Gal, are we adding ESP to our calling card now? Amazing how you got that one. I would never have gone there. Let's just call you a seasoned vet!!!

Now, sorry about that, Fifi. I have the Remstar Auto, too. The large leak rate of 4 mins. for an average large leak is high. I have never gotten a leak like that. I used to get regular average leak rates of 32-43 until I started taping my mouth, and now using the Dr. Sue NB device to stop mouth breathing. I didn't think it was that bad, but obviously it was. But since taping/using the NB, my leak rates went down to like 20-25, with once an 18. So 45 is a bit high, but not awful. It was the large leak of 4 mins. that threw me. But RG guessed it was due to you leaving the mask off with the machine running (just call her Kreskin).

Just FYI, when you use the bathroom during the night, you can turn off the Remstar and put it back on again, barring you're going to be gone for an hour, of course, and it won't affect your nightly data. It will still know to pick up when you turn it back on and it will only show up as a little vertical black line on your graph (the green one showing how many hours you used the machine that night). So there is no need to keep it running unless you know you're really going to be gone awhile. But by doing that, you are affecting your data when it comes to leaks AND your accurate AHI because the time you spent away from the therapy is still going to be averaged in as time that you had the mask on, but with no events, even though you weren't sleeping.

In any event, viewArticle/Encore-Pro-Respironics-CPAP ... Derek.html this is a link to Derek's explanation of the software. Maybe it can help explain what I cannot. Sorry, but technicalities are not my specialty. For that, we have people like Derek, Tridens and a few other brains.

Fifi · Post by **Fifi** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 6:15 pm

Thank you Ozij, yes I have thought about that and am very meticulous about switching off the machine before removing my mask.

I have the 'auto off' switched off so as not to confuse readings I very rarely get up to pee or dry the mask during the night. So I do not think it is that as I always switch off first on the rare occasions that I do.

Thank you for your results Frostman, not very dissimilar to mine. However I have had to resort to a ff mask permanently as I have recently discovered that I am a chronic mouth breather!

So possibly mask itself must be leaking without my being aware of it during the night, which is a bit of a bore as I do not think that I can do much about that.

Hmmmm? · Post by **Hmmmm?** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 8:45 pm

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forum, but have been reading it for the past month with great interest. I'm also interested in the Leak readings I get with Encore pro software. My questions are -
How important is it to obtain a zero or low large leak reading?
What about leaks in general?
Can you obtain a base line leak rate by the method I used?

I'm using Ramstar Auto on APAP with a range of 10 to 15cm. Face mask - ComfortFull. Have a beard and fuzz under my nose, which probably explains my high leak rate. Now for some data.....

To get a base leak rate, I fastened the mask to the pillow and ran the unit for approx 2 hrs. @9 cm. Results....Lg leak= 116.5 min, Lg leak = 117cm, Avg leak = 109cm, Avg 90% leak = 111cm. I'm not sure if this is a good way to get a base line, but hey....I'm trying <grin>.

Last night I increased my cm to 10 minimum. After 5.25 hrs sleep, results were:

cm range: 10 to 15....stayed at 10 all night
AI: 0.4
HI: 1.7
FL: 0.0
S: 0.4
AHI:2.1
Lg leak: 306 min
Lg leak: 148cm
Avg leak: 92.48cm
Avg 90% leak: 110cm

Thanks for being here. Hope you can shed some light to the above.

Stan

Hmmmm? · Post by **Hmmmm?** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 10:28 am

Hi again,

Can someone please help me understand why having a low leak rate is important if treatment looks ok. I keep reading that one should try to achieve a low rate, but haven't read why. See my last post.

Thanks in advance,

Stan

Fifi · Post by **Fifi** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 6:43 pm

Good question Hmm, I would love to know the answer to that too, but judging from the response nobody out there knows the answer to your question, which is a pity.

I would have liked to have known.

fnorette · Post by **fnorette** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 6:45 pm

In my case, a low leak rate means less awakening for me and my spouse at odd hours of the night .

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 7:02 pm

A low leak rates means you're not losing pressure, which is a good thing. If you're titrated to a certain pressure and you're leaking all over the place, you're not keeping the pressure you're supposed to be at, thereby not getting the most beneficial therapy from your hours of wearing your mask.

Also, it could be an indication of mouth breathing, which is not something you want to ignore, it could be an indication of a loose hose connection, a broken tubing somewhere or a leaky mask. That's why, IMHO, it's important to know.

Think of what CPAP stands for: Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. The pressure should remain continuous, as it was intended, not lessening because you are having leaks.

Otto Pap · Post by **Otto Pap** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 7:07 pm

Lg leak: 306 min

"Large leak" reflects a condition for which your machine may not properly compensate. Even though your data appears good at first glance, that 306 minutes of "large leak" is actually 306 minutes of potentially skewed data and therefore 306 minutes of potentially skewed treatment!

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 7:32 pm

Otto,

Did you take your name from Encore Pro's software ?

Remstar Auto Interpreting results