Leaks & AHI

[azpilgrims]

If you have leaks in the 40 to 50 range will it cause your AHI numbers to appear lower or is there really no effect on the actual AHI?

[Pugsy]

Using the Respironics machines you will see Total Leak reported. Total Leak is the mask vent rate plus any excess leak. Vent rate varies with pressure and type of mask. Full face masks typically have a higher vent rate anyway...add in APAP and some pressure variations and the Total Leak reported will vary. Your mask literature should show average vent rate at your pressures but you probably aren't far off with 40 to 50 L/min.

Respironics doesn't flag large leak (where therapy might be impaired and the ability to score events impaired) until somewhere around 90 L/min when looking at Total Leak.
If you look at your leak line and it pretty much stays well below 90 L/min... you don't have to worry about the machine missing events due to leaks. Respironics says they can compensate pretty well for leaks up to the Large Leak territory.

We aren't ever really told what a specific large leak number is but from past experience using Respironics machine I have hit 80 or 85 L/min leaks and never saw a Large leak flag.. At 90 L/min....I saw a large leak flag.