Sleep Study Results

So here are the results of my sleep study. I apologize for the blurriness of the images.

Part 1: Sleep Study (9:51 p.m. to 1:05 AM)



Part 2: Titration Study (1:15 a.m. to 5:55 a.m.)



Titration Table



The doctor has diagnosed "very severe obstructive sleep apnea" and has prescribed APAP with a starting pressure of 10-14 CWP. Sound reasonable to everyone else? I am curious as to why they didn't try going up to 13 CWP to see what would happen.

So many of the results are off the page... like your 02 saturation, an important number. Can you try to readjust the pages a bit?

Julie I can see the O2 numbers just fine. Try right clicking the mouse on the image and choose "view image" from the menu and see if it makes the entire image show up for you.

The Latinist wrote: prescribed APAP with a starting pressure of 10-14 CWP. Sound reasonable to everyone else? I am curious as to why they didn't try going up to 13 CWP to see what would happen.

Sounds very reasonable.
Don't know why they didn't try 13 unless they ran out of time...total sleep time for titration was 3 hours and 52 minutes.
If you look at the times at the various pressures tried...they seem to add up to just a little less than 4 hours...so I suspect that they ran out of time and since they left it at 12 for well over an hour...so things must have been looking pretty good for them to leave it that long. I imagine that the tech didn't see any need to increase it any more.

With my sleep study, they went up to 12 I think, but decided on a pressure range of 11-14. In my case, they found that 11 took care of a lot of the events, but did not take care of them when I was on my back. But I only spent two very short times on my back. So, they decided a range would cover that for me. I am grateful, as I am glad to have an auto machine rather than a straight pressure. And it does spike into the low 16s and rarely get up to 16.9 or 17.

Unlike some of the sleep studies I have heard about here, I was told to sleep any way I wanted. So, I was not pushed into sleeping on my back. They studied my natural sleep, and I move a lot. There were also aware that I slept on my back more during the diagnostic phase (21%) than during my titration (13%). So, they knew my machine needed to be set high enough to handle it. I also never reach deep sleep or REM during the diagnostic phase.

Hi Latinist,

One recommendation I would make is to insist on a machine that records full efficacy data. I suspect you will be tweaking your setting a few times once you get your machine. Do your home work. Robysue has a link to some very useful information. A person that goes into a DME unprepared will often get taken advantage of (IMHO).
Welcome to the forum.

<edit to add links>

RobySue's blog may help you with some of your questions
http://adventures-in-hosehead-land.blog ... -test.html

along with Janknitz's blog
http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/
be sure to read the one about what to expect from your DME


-tino

Tino2You wrote:One recommendation I would make is to insist on a machine that records full efficacy data.

Thanks for the advice. That's one thing I got from reading this forum and my other thread. In any case, I think I've got a good DME. I spoke to them this morning (they wanted to let me know that my insurance only covers 50% and no supplies so that I wouldn't have sticker shock when I arrived), and while I was on the phone, they offered me a choice of the S9 Autoset or the PR System One Auto. I went with the S9 Autoset.

The Latinist wrote:

Tino2You wrote:One recommendation I would make is to insist on a machine that records full efficacy data.

Thanks for the advice. That's one thing I got from reading this forum and my other thread. In any case, I think I've got a good DME. I spoke to them this morning (they wanted to let me know that my insurance only covers 50% and no supplies so that I wouldn't have sticker shock when I arrived), and while I was on the phone, they offered me a choice of the S9 Autoset or the PR System One Auto. I went with the S9 Autoset.

My question would be 50% of what? You might be able to save yourself a considerable amount of money shopping online.

Sharrykb wrote:My question would be 50% of what? You might be able to save yourself a considerable amount of money shopping online.

50% of Anthem's allowed amount, and on the machine and humidifier only (I don't think the mask is covered, but I'm not sure). They told me that my total cost would be $488 for the whole setup, including ResMed Quattro mask, whether I went with the ResMed S9 Autoset or the PR S1 Auto.

I certainly intend to have my doc fax my scrip to cpap.com so that I can get any future supplies there, since my insurance doesn't cover them. And I'll go with a price list in hand so that I can be sure not to buy anything that I can get cheaper online.

The Latinist wrote:my total cost would be $488 for the whole setup, including ResMed Quattro mask, whether I went with the ResMed S9 Autoset or the PR S1 Auto.

For all that...one time purchase and not a capped rental month to month...it's a good deal for you.
Did you confirm that the price was for full purchase up front and there wouldn't be any monthly rental fees?

Otherwise if it is a one time purchase...it's a great deal. No way to beat that with online retail sources.

Pugsy wrote:

The Latinist wrote:Did you confirm that the price was for full purchase up front and there wouldn't be any monthly rental fees?

Yeah, that's the purchase price for S9 Auto, H5i humidifier, and Quattro mask. No monthly rental fees, though they offered to set me up on a payment plan if I couldn't come up with the cost up-front. I guess Anthem must've negotiated a great price.

Of course I haven't been fitted for the mask and, since I don't think Anthem is paying anything toward the mask, the cost is presumably not limited by an Anthem allowed amount. If that's the case and I choose a mask other than the Quattro, it could affect my total.