Elevation Settings

[pabond]

Hey everybody,

I've been having trouble recently with my CPAP machine and was not getting good sleep. I went into my configuration settings of my REMStar Plus and checked them out after having it for two years. Well someone screwed up since the elevation setting was set to 2 which is for elevations between 2,500 feet and 5,000 feet (assuming I remember correctly). I live in an area that is 1,300 feet above sea level. I switched it back to 1 and feel better today. My question is, at level 2 would my pressure have been greater or lesser? I believe the pressure would have been greater to compensate for the thinner air at higher elevations but wondered if anyone knew for sure.

[Nitro Dan]

The pressure would have been greater. When I was an avid camper, I had to play with that setting all the time.

[pabond]

Yeah that's what I thought. Thanks for confirming this. My belief is that I should sleep better now that the pressure setting is correct but it does make you wonder -- what else did they screw up when they set up the machine? I also wonder that now that I've used it with this setting for two years now if my prescription will need changed?

[Nitro Dan]

I myself would not worry about it. Just see how you feel a month or two down the road...

[Goofproof]

You need to check the machine with a manometer every 6 mo. If you use one you won't have to worry about alt, if you reset it at that alt, it will always be the same. Jim

[pabond]

So my machine should have had at least three checks by now since I've had it for two years. Is this something I can do or will I need to have my DME perform this service?

[Goofproof]

The brick and mortar DME is suppose to offer it. you can get the guage or make one yourself.

With a APAP or better CPAP, the alt is automatic. but the overall Calibration still needs to be checked, however it's not rocket science, if you machine on cpap is reading 1 cm low, you just adjust your treatment pressure to make up for it.

With a apap and software you are always adjusting for your best pressure all the time.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): CPAP, DME, APAP

[Wulfman]

These two are available from CPAP.COM (if you want to do your own) or you can get your DME to check it for you.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/guage- ... ssure.html

https://www.cpap.com/productpage-advanced.php?PNum=78

Den

[ClayL]

[quote="pabond"]Hey everybody,

I've been having trouble recently with my CPAP machine and was not getting good sleep. I went into my configuration settings of my REMStar Plus and checked them out after having it for two years. Well someone screwed up since the elevation setting was set to 2 which is for elevations between 2,500 feet and 5,000 feet (assuming I remember correctly). I live in an area that is 1,300 feet above sea level. I switched it back to 1 and feel better today. My question is, at level 2 would my pressure have been greater or lesser? I believe the pressure would have been greater to compensate for the thinner air at higher elevations but wondered if anyone knew for sure.

[dsm]

I have the 1st gauge Den mentioned & it is very accurate. As mentioned you can easily make your own gauge using a yard or so of clear tubing (1/4 " dia is ok). The accuracy of a home made device is improved if you use a purchased ruler as the scale.

You can buy a plastic coupling from cpap.com that allows bleeding air off the airhose line. The reason I like the gauge one though, is that it is so easy to look at it while it is attached to a mask or machine.

Good luck

DSM

[witnix]

My F&P HC234 sets the altitude in 1500 feet increments instead of just a number. The technician who delivered it left it set on zero and I live around 1500 feet.

I changed providers due to insurance and about a year later I finally remembered to ask my local provider about it. They told me they always set most machines to number 1 but didn't know what to do with one that read in feet.

I've got it set correctly now... <sigh>

[akcpapguy]

I knew the pressure went up as you increased the Altitude setting, however I never checked the amount. So today I setup an M Series at work to get an answer for you.

Remember these results are in Fairbanks, AK at about 700ft in elevation.

On a pressure setting of the 10cmH2o and Altitude setting of 1 = 10 cmH2o, an Altitude setting of 2 = 11 cmH2o, and an Altitude setting of 3 = 12 cmH2o.

I repeated this test 5 times each on 3 different Respironics M Series Plus machines, and using the same manometerfor each test and machine.

Here are the recommended settings according to the Provider quick setup guide.

1 = Less than 2500 ft / <762 m

2 = 2500 to 5000 ft / 763 to 1524 m

3 = 5001 to 7500 ft / 1525 to 2286 m


I do have so "Tanks" around and a few other spare cpap machines around the office, but didn't have time to check them today.

One other note: I called a friend in Colorado Springs, CO who is a Sleep Tech. He tested an M Series there for me. Results, on a setting of 10 cmh2o with the Altitude on 3, the manometer read 10 cmh2o. So obviously the device is working as intended.

[blarg]

Also note that the whole point of an elevation setting is not to make the pressure higher, but to ensure that you get the proper pressure given the altitude at which you're using the device. So, changing those settings at 700ft causes the pressure to be higher at 700ft, but if you were at the altitude that matched the setting, you'd still be getting 10cm/h2o. That's the point.

[akcpapguy]

Yup, sorry Blarg, sometimes us Tech's get so focused on the specific question and think that the things you mentioned are common sense things. To some they are, but then again to some ther are not, so you are correct they should be mentioned for the good of all.