Determining CPAP/BIPAP/APAP

[newtoCPAP2018]

The sleep study technician told me they use a standard CPAP machine ( Phillips Dream station) for the test. How is it determined if I needed the BIPAP or APAP? Is it based on how "well" I do on the CPAP during the study? I am researching as much as I can and I came across these terms and I am just trying to educate myself.

Is this Phillips Dream station as common, universal one?

[LSAT]

The sleep study technician told me they use a standard CPAP machine ( Phillips Dream station) for the test. How is it determined if I needed the BIPAP or APAP? Is it based on how "well" I do on the CPAP during the study? I am researching as much as I can and I came across these terms and I am just trying to educate myself.

Is this Phillips Dream station as common, universal one?

It doesn't matter what they use as a test to see if you need CPAP therapy. What's important is that once a need and pressure is established, that you get the best machine available for your specific therapy. The test and your doctor will determine what type of machine you need.

[Pugsy]

Lets try to simplify things for you so you understand the machines.

CPAP is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure....usually a single fixed pressure that can't auto adjust and may have exhale relief of some sort so that the pressure drops a little on exhale to make it easier for a person to exhale against the pressure. So there is really 2 pressures use...one on inhale and one on exhale but it's still considered a fixed single pressure machine. The amount of drop available during exhale is rather limited but it's there. One mode of operation only. Maximum pressure is 20 cm

APAP...Auto adjusting Positive Airway Pressure....essentially it's a cpap with an additional mode of operation in addition to the fixed mode and the second mode the machine can auto adjust the pressures as it senses the need. Exhale relief available is the same.
It's like 2 machines in one with the 2 different modes of operation. Maximum pressure is 20 cm.

BiPap/Bilevel...Bipap is really a marketing term for a Respironics bilevel machine but it sort of has become a generic term for all brands of bilevel machines.
Bilevel machines will usually have fixed cpap mode available along with either a fixed bilevel or auto adjusting bilevel depending on the model machine.
Bilevel simply means 2 pressures...one for inhale and one for exhale...very similar to the bilevel situation that occurs when exhale relief is used on the cpap/apap machines. Maximum pressure can be 25 or even 30 depending on the model of the bilevel and its job.

Now to confuse things even more there are several different kinds of bilevel machines out there available and which one to be used depends on the problem that needs to be addressed.
There are what I call "plain bilevels" which are really nothing more than cpap/apap machines with extra available exhale relief beyond what cpap/apap can offer and they can go to 25 cm if needed.
There are bilevels that are used in special situations for special problems. I call them "the high end specialty bilevels".

When do we need to consider moving from cpap/apap to bilevel? Well that depends on the problem we are wanting to fix or address.

With the Respironics cpap machines the most that machine can offer by using Flex exhale relief is 2 cm. And you get that only if you are a forceful breather because Respironics exhale relief isn't a per cm per setting reduction but instead the amount of drop during exhale is based on your own breathing.

So if you had a bilevel machine (and there are no brick bilevels so they are all full data) you could have more than 2 cm drop available if you need it or want it and its the amount of drop that offers the comfort upon exhale or the ease in exhaling. The bigger the drop or difference between inhale and exhale..the easier it is to use the machine.
Especially so at pressures above 14 cm.
Bilevels are also used when people develop problems with aerophagia or air in the belly because of any pressure...doesn't have to be high pressures being used to have aerophagia issues that require bilevel to not have those issues.

When plain bilevel machines are used...the settings for inhale and exhale or usually 3 or 4 cm apart...this is hugely more comfortable to exhale against than the maybe 2 cm difference you can get with the cpap/apap models.

Does this help clear up the questions you had about these machines? If not...ask more and we will try to clarify things.

Are you the one having anxiety issues with the mask and machine? Have you even got a machine yet?