Newbie Needs Help Interpreting Data

[ccu nurse]

Hi all! I just got diagnosed with OSA last week and found this forum. Had my sleep study two weeks ago and evidently failed miserably! First test I had flunked since an Economics II test in college.....
Anyway, here are my original numbers from the sleep study: AHI 30.84/hr, Total # of apneas:4 , Obstructive Apneas: 4, Central Apneas: 0, Hypopnea count: 171, Minimum 02 sats: 82%, Arousals: 19.7/hr, Sleep Efficiency 78.6%, AHI Supine: 21.51, AHI Both Sides: 39.01.
Got setup with S9 Autoset with humdifier, ClimateLine hose and Zest Petite nasal mask that same day. From reading the posts on this forum I understand I'm pretty lucky to get the S9. I'm a CCU nurse so I understand about my 02 sats, etc. A little extra background on my medical history: I've gone into atrial fibrillation twice in the last 5 years, the last time being two weeks ago, right before my sleep study. Had all the cardiac tests done and cardiologist is just sure that sleep apnea is causing me to go into a-fib. Given that, I knew I had no choice but to get used to my "new normal" of wearing a mask to sleep at night. I'm pretty lucky because I seem to have adjusted quicker than some.
I downloaded the ResScan software (thanks Uncle Bob) and here is what it says: AHI: 0.3, Leak 95th percentile 1.8, Pressure Maximum 8.9. I'm just learning all the sleep apnea lingo, etc. since I don't deal much with sleep apnea at the hospital. My pressure on my machine is set to 6-20. I have the ramp set to 20 minutes. I get cold easily so my temperature setting is at 78%. I'm sleeping at least 6-8 hours a night for the past week and my mask is pretty comfortable. (Another thing I understand I'm pretty lucky about.)
My questions are these: What does an AHI of 0.3 mean exactly? Does that mean I'm still having apneic episodes? What does the 95th percentile leak of 1.8 mean? And is a maximum pressure of 8.9 pretty good or pretty bad?
I've got a lot to learn...from cleaning my mask and hose, to being the best informed patient I can be and taking control over my diagnosis and health.
Thanks in advance for any help I can get!

[Pugsy]

My questions are these: What does an AHI of 0.3 mean exactly? Does that mean I'm still having apneic episodes? What does the 95th percentile leak of 1.8 mean? And is a maximum pressure of 8.9 pretty good or pretty bad?

AHI Apnea + Hyponeas divided by number or hours slept gives an hourly index.. 0.3 AH well under AHI of 1 which is excellent. The medical community considers AHI under 5 to be acceptable treatment though some people feel that they need to have a lower AHI to feel the best.

95% leak just means that for 95 % of the night you were at or below that leak rate. Maximum leak is obviously the max it ever reached. ResMed machines subtract the mask vent rate before reporting leak so all this is excess leak. ResMed says that 24 L/min is where they can't handle the leak and therapy can be impaired.. You are obviously well under that number so it is also excellent. Especially for being new to all this.

Maximum pressure just means that was the most it needed to treat the events. There is no good or bad to this number. Different people need different pressures. Unrelated to severity of the OSA.. only means that the airway only needs so and so pressure to stay open.

[ccu nurse]

Thanks Pugsy!