READING DATA

[Lisaintosa]

Happy May everyone!

Just wondering if anyone knows if I can read my own results on the machine I have or do I have to take it back to the DME to download and print it for me. I did that last time and she wasn't able to tell me what it all ment, but now after reading this forum I think I can do it myself.

Also if anyone can tell me what the capabilities of my machine are that would be great.

Thanks!

Lisa
A hosehead and proud of it!

[mdbarthe]

Happy May to you, too, Lisaintosa!

Yes, you may read your own data with the Resmed S8 Elite. However, you will need the ResScan software and a card reader if you do not have it.

[alnhwrd]

Actually, you can get a summary of your nightly data very easily, provided the DME turned it on (or forgot to turn it off!) Press and hold the left and right buttons ( < & > )on the top of your Elite for a few seconds. You should see the display change and say, "Efficiency Menu", with the word "enter" in the lower left part of the screen. Press the button under "enter" and you can then scroll through your nightly 95% pressure, leak rate, AI, HI and AHI. You must do this before noon, as the machine will roll the daily info over into the weekly/monthly/annual averages after that. If Smart Data is not enabled and the efficiency menu does not come up, press and hold the Right and Down buttons. This will access the Clinician's menu. You can scroll through it and find the same info. If you access the Clinicians menu, I recommend that first thing you write down all the settings so that in case anything is changed you will be able to return the machine to its original settings. I kept a sleep diary for the first couple of months I had my Elite and recorded this info along with how I felt and and any other sleep related info that was relavant. I found it very useful and would recommend it to anyone.

BTW, your DME might get cranky with you if you tell them you are accessing your data, so be forewarned if you decide to tell them or not. Remember it is your machine, your info, and your therapy and don't let them make you feel guilty about keeping track of it. Good luck with your treatment!

[alnhwrd]

I reread your post and realized I forgot to address the second part of it

I have used the Elite every night for the past year and a half. I like it. It has very easy access to the nightly data. It has the Auto on/off feature, which starts the blower when I hook up and start breathing and turns off automatically when I disconnect. This is pure laziness on my part, because how hard is it to reach over and tap a button, but I still enjoy it. The Elite has EPR or Exhalation Pressure Relief, which will drop the pressure 1, 2 or 3 cm when you exhale. I liked and used this at first, but I have since grown accustomed to breathing out against the pressure and no longer do so. It has a ramp feature that will slowly increase your pressure over time as you start using your machine. This should be accessible from the mainscreen. I used it for the first week, then, like with EPR, found that I had acclimated to the pressure and no longer needed it.

I have often thought that I would like to try an auto adjusting cpap, which the Elite is not. However, as a straight CPAP I think it is a very good machine and would not hesitate to recommend it for use in treating simple obstuctive sleep apnea.

If you want further info, the product descriptions at CPAP.com are pretty good. Just type "Elite" into the search filed and it should take you to it. You could look on Resmed's site too.

Again, good luck with your treatment!

[mdbarthe]

Sorry, when I read Lisintosa's posting, I made the assumption she was looking for detailed data and not just the info she could get from the Clinical Menu. That's why I made mention of the software and card reader and did not bring up the LED display.

[alnhwrd]

And between the two of us we have covered all the bases for her!

[claireybear]

I increased the pressure on mine to compensate for having the EPR on --- is my DME going to get upset about this? can they even tell if I bump it back down before I take it in?