Can you use a CPAP machine to diagnose sleep apnea?

[Janos]

A friend of mine is supposed to be tested for sleep apnea but his appointment isn't for a while. I'm wondering whether there's any way for him to use the monitoring function on my CPAP to test himself?
Thanks in advance for your help, everyone.

[Julie]

What model of which brand machine do you have? Can you set the pressure(s) at e.g. 5-6 and 20 if it's an auto? Can you download Oscar and once your friend's used the machine for a couple of nites post results here as per Oscar and we'll give experts a chance to interpret... still in this thread please. And what about the mask?

[palerider]

A friend of mine is supposed to be tested for sleep apnea but his appointment isn't for a while. I'm wondering whether there's any way for him to use the monitoring function on my CPAP to test himself?
Thanks in advance for your help, everyone.

Sort of, depending on what you have. If you've got an auto machine and it never goes above the set minimum, then maybe he has a mild case, maybe he doesn't, because the machine is always going to provide some therapy.

[Doce]

Not a doctor and not providing medical advice.

Only a sleep lab will be able to truly diagnose sleep disordered breathing. An experiment I did was set the pressure to a fixed rate of around five and keep an eye on the flow chart and how it looked throughout the night on Oscar. Or set it on auto 5 to 20 and keep an eye on how the pressure fluctuates throughout the night and keep an eye on the flow chart.

[Janos]

The machine is a DeVilbiss IntelliPap. The lowest minimum setting it will accept is 3.0. If I understand correctly, the idea would be to set it to 3.0 and then look at the readout to see if it the pressure went above the minimum, and if so, how much and how often?

I have a nasal mask and a nasal pillow. Would one work better than the other for this purpose?

Thanks for your help.

[Julie]

Mask would depend on the patient... which (among so many out there) would work best for them, making sure they don't leak and are adequate for the amount of air needed to pass through a particular size.

But there's a lot more to it than setting at 3 (probably v. hard to breathe at for anyone - I've never done that with same machine and would advise trying e.g. 5 if wanting to test someone else.

I'd actually post Oscar results in this thread for experts here to interpret and advise about.

[Pugsy]

Can you get detailed data reports from your machine? Or can you just get the overall numbers or results.

What you want to do....maybe it will show something that points to OSA but maybe it doesn't.
Here's the deal...if you use a low pressure screening it wouldn't be impossible for the low pressure to actually fix any potential OSA airway issues and the machine not show any or many apnea events. Doesn't mean they didn't or wouldn't happen without cpap...just means that a lower pressure held the airway open and prevent the airway from collapsing. THere is therapy value even at 3 cm pressure meaning for some people 3 or 4 or 5 cm can hold the airway open just fine and if the machine didn't go higher it doesn't necessarily mean no OSA.
Now if it did go higher....pretty good chance OSA is involved but the lack of it going higher doesn't mean no OSA for sure.

I did what you want to do with my sister and her husband some years ago. It can be done but you have to understand limitations and what might happen.

Need to know what data you can get from your machine first....only code numbers or full detailed data using available software??????

[Julie]

The IP gives screen info (not extensive) but if you buy a 'module' with machine you can use Oscar.

[Pugsy]

The IP gives screen info (not extensive) but if you buy a 'module' with machine you can use Oscar.

Even with the module the data is limited with OSCAR and it depends on exactly which model auto it is. I just checked the other day for compatibility and it's not as extensive as one might think. The compatibility list for OSCAR shows some limited auto models and plainly says partial data at that. How partial??? I don't know yet what might be missing. No bilevel models shown as being supported which was why I was looking.

I think in this situation (depending on if we have a module and exact machine) I am thinking for use as a screening device I wouldn't worry so much about a range of pressures being used and instead target proof of need first. Worry about pressure ranges later.
Use a fixed pressure at the lowest that the person is comfortable with and check AHI to start with. That's available using the codes...if it is high then that is fairly diagnostic. If it isn't high...re-evaluate at that time.
We want to first prove need and then if there is an obvious need then worry about pressure settings.
I think that adding in changing pressures (assuming the machine will want to) could potentially disturb sleep which will mess with the data and the machines response...and if not asleep it really muddies up the data. So for screening purposes...prove need first and then worry about what pressure might be needed. Changing pressure could well disturb the sleep of someone who has never ever had to use cpap/apap. Let's face it...it's not easy to sleep with mask and machine for some people right from the getngo....

[Janos]

Thanks everyone. I don't think my machine works with Oscar, but I do have the DeVilbis software, which gives a very detailed report. I will try what you suggest.

[Dog Slobber]

Yes, sometimes.

If an auto adjusting machine flags events, reports flow limitations, responds to indicators by raising and lowering pressures, responds differently as you zero in on optimal pressure ranges, then almost certainly, sleep apnea is responsible.

Suggest a followup with a steep study.

But, be careful of false negatives. You can not, necessarily rule out sleep apnea if none of the above occur, because the device you are using to diagnose is also treating their apnea.

I've used one of my spare AutoSet for Her, to diagnose and treat both of Ms. Dog Slobbers Sleep Apnea. In both cases when they followed up with a sleep study, their OSA was confirmed and devices prescribed.