S9 H5i - Any Diff. "Patient" or "Manual" Setting?

[Jeffster]

In the S9 Clinicians Menu I can set Climate Control to "Auto" "Manual" or "Patient". I have the SlimLine hose, so I think I need to avoid "Auto" correct? That is for use with ClimateLine hose I believe, to reduce rain out. But both "Manual" and "Patient" settings seem to let me set the Humidity range from 0 to 6. So what benefits would there be for an S9 SlimLine hose user to choose either the "Manual" or "Patient" setting for Climate Control? I can't seem to find this question answered well enough in the S9 AutoSet II Clinician Manual.

Right now I have it set to "Patient" (which is how I received it set from the RRT), but I did reset Humidity from the initial 2.5 value to 3.5, and tonight I have reset it again to 4.0 to see if I get improved Sleep Report results.

[KatieW]

I think the Auto and Manual settings both refer to the Climate Line Tubing, as explained in the Climate Line User Manual. Manual means the user can set both the humidity and temperature. Auto means pre-set humidity of 80% and user can set the temperature.

[Kevin G.]

I assume that you are adjusting the humidity because you wake up with a dry nose or mouth. If this is not the case I don't see how the humidity will improve the situation.

Rather than making changes in small steps why not make larger steps. I would try 5.0 or 6.0. If the setting is too high and you get rain out you can turn it down. Setting it too high will not cause any harm and by going in larger steps you wil reduce the time it takes to find a solution.

[Golden-Alpine]

Could someone please point me in the direction for the clinicians manual for the S9.

[Nord]

PM sent

[Jeffster]

KatieW, thank you for explaining that to me. It makes sense now.

Kevin G., I'm tweaking settings to try to achieve improved AHI report values. I was 1.9 two nights ago, and 1.5 last night, so I'm moving in the right direction, although 2 nights do not provide enough sample data. Actually, after an hour on the Humidity 4.0 setting last night, I felt like it was too moist an atmosphere inside my mask, so I turned it back to 3.5, and still got the better AHi report this morning.

I've been on the S9 since June 1 2010, and I really appreciate finding this forum, as all the good advice here is encouraging me to be more involved in my own CPAP therapy. I started CPAP use 8 years ago, but was on constant 13 cm H2O pressure. Another change this forum helped me decide to try was switching my new S9 off "CPAP" set to fixed 13 cm H2O, as I had received the machine from my Home Care Provider. Two nights ago I switched that to "Auto" and plugged in an 8 to 14 range. Last night I made that 8 to 16. It really is too early to make any conclusions, but I think the "Auto" switch is improving things for me.

[KatieW]

I've been on the S9 since June 1 2010, and I really appreciate finding this forum, as all the good advice here is encouraging me to be more involved in my own CPAP therapy. I started CPAP use 8 years ago, but was on constant 13 cm H2O pressure. Another change this forum helped me decide to try was switching my new S9 off "CPAP" set to fixed 13 cm H2O, as I had received the machine from my Home Care Provider. Two nights ago I switched that to "Auto" and plugged in an 8 to 14 range. Last night I made that 8 to 16. It really is to early to make any conclusions, but I think the "Auto" switch is improving things for me.

Yes, you do need more data. What I would suggest is stay at the same range for a week or so, and see what your 95% pressure is, which means 95% of the time, you are at that pressure, or below.

And also look at the maximum pressure that for each night.

Then you will have a better idea of the optimum range for you, for example, 2 cm below 95%, and 2 cm above maximum. Or, you could go back to cpap mode, using the 95% pressure, or slightly above. If you do a search on titration, setting apap pressures, AHI, etc. you will find previous discussions.

The humidity may or may not affect your AHI. I do find that if I have too much humidity, my face gets sweaty, then my mask leaks, so my events go up. Some people find that too much humidity cause congestion, which could also make the events go up.

[Jeffster]

Thanks for the good advice, KatieW. I will search here on those key terms and look for more good advice. I'll study that 95% of the time pressure number. I believe that shows up in the ResScan reports? Well, I'll find it.

I have been writing down the Sleep Report info from the machine the past two mornings. Last night my "Pressure" was 13.2, the night before 12.0.I do know that 8 cm H2O just plain feels too low to get comfortable, so I will try 10 as my min tonight, and 16 as the max. That puts me +/- 3 of my prescribed 13. If it feels good tonight, I'll let that range be my base for the one week eval, while trying to study that 95% number.

[KatieW]

Sounds like a good plan. By the way, the pressure on the lcd screen is your 95% pressure.

[Jeffster]

Sounds like a good plan. By the way, the pressure on the lcd screen is your 95% pressure.

That is good to know! My last night's Sleep Report shows "Pressure: 12.4" with my current min 10 - max 16 settings. Bringing the max down to 15 would bring me closer to the +/- 2 of that 12.4 value, and if I see I stay around that value over the next few days' reports, I'll make that change.

Some of the other SR values I got last night: AHI: 1.5, Total AI: 1.3, Central AI: 0.2, Leak: 6.0 L/min. This is just my 3rd day of collecting this info, and I'm new to understanding this info so I don't know for sure, but these seem to be fairly acceptable numbers to me, as in, I should be getting good APAP sleep therapy with these results.

A few days ago, along with turning "Sleep Quality: On" so I could see more of these numbers, I also turned "EPR: Full Time" (was "Off") and have tried EPR levels of 1 and 2. After a night on 1, then a night on 2, last night I went back to 1, and that seems to be the most pleasing to me for now. This is along the lines of my humidity settings, things that make sleeping more comfortable, ergo better sleep results, not directly tied to apnea episodes, but overall promoting better quality of life from better sleep results, I hope.