How is EPR the same as AHI?

Noddinggal · Post by **Noddinggal** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 5:41 pm

I am VERY confused. After talking to my doctor about the CPAP not helping, he asked the DME for a more detailed report. All he has received was the hours used. He wants the AHI from the machine.

The DME called me and said to go to the machine and he told me how to access the settings. He told me to find the EPR and set it to "Full Time" and told me to send them the SD card after one week with the EPR turned on. I asked if I should set the EPR level and he said no, just leave that set to off. So the EPR function is on but the level is off. I understand that the EPR is something to do with the air pressure on exhale so I asked what that will show as far as what the doctor is looking for? He wants the AHI. The DME Respiratory Therapist told me that the EPR on the machine I have is the same as AHI.

I'm so confused and feeling like I'm being jerked around to the point that I feel like just throwing the machine out of the window. I won't but I sure do feel like it.

Does this EPR being the same as AHI make sense to anyone else?

Karen

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 5:43 pm

And they give this monkey a CHECK?:
Umm, they gave you an Escape--take it back if you can.
It blows air and tells the hours used--period!

kaiasgram · Post by **kaiasgram** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 5:48 pm

If it wasn't so frightening it would be funny. The Escape is a useless machine as far as getting good data goes, but in this situation the machine is not the first thing I'd want to kick to the curb!

Noddinggal · Post by **Noddinggal** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 5:55 pm

OK thank you. So I'm NOT crazy. I was seriously starting to think that I must have lost all oxygen to my brain and perhaps I am not understanding simple things anymore. I'm really not an idiot and this EPR being the same as AHI had me really questioning my sanity. So basically, they will waste my time for yet another week and get no more data to the doctor than they have for the past 3 1/2 months.

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 5:56 pm

Since your doctor wants access to your AHI, the DME should exchange the worthless brick
they sent home with you for an Elite or an Autoset.
--and it better be an S9 so you can use the humidifier.

Bons · Post by **Bons** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 6:07 pm

The escape works really well for this DME- no one using it has an AHI higher than 3

Noddinggal · Post by **Noddinggal** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 6:14 pm

All I can do it laugh at this point. I just called ResMed so I could tell my doctor AND the DME that I know what I'm talking about. I have had problems with this DME since Day 1. Lies, lies and more lies right from the get go. The ResMed representative did confirm that the Escape ONLY records time usage. I only called them because I wanted to be able to say I did. Don't these DME people know that tired and cranky people should not be messed with.

DoriC · Post by **DoriC** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 6:16 pm

You're not crazy at all, but you are being jerked.around! Your Dr may have to write a more specific RX for an S9Autoset with a range of pressure settings. Keep us posted.

Noddinggal · Post by **Noddinggal** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 6:38 pm

What makes this even more frustrating is that I was diagnosed with very mild OSA because my study showed 30 hypopneas. No Obstructive, mixed or central apneas. My AHI was 5.8. I told the doctor I feel worse during the 3 1/2 months on CPAP (he is not the original doctor so he didn't actually prescribe it) and he said "well maybe you don't need it and some weight loss might be all you need". He said he just wanted to see the AHI from the CPAP data first to see what it says before he can say for sure if I should stop CPAP. So that's what brought me to this post. The Respiratory Therapist telling me to turn on the EPR and that it's the same as the AHI and to use the machine for another week and send in the card, to me is nothing more than one more week that they will be able to bill the insurance company. I'm about ready to tell them to come and get their machine and wash my hands of the whole thing.

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 6:49 pm

Oh! The brick is a RENTAL!
Yess! They need to switch your rental to a full data machine, preferably an Autoset,
then, and only then can your doctor evaluate your situation.
There may be cause for you to try an even more advanced machine--
hopefully, there is another DME in your insurance company's network.

RandyJ · Post by **RandyJ** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 6:58 pm

Hehehe sounds like my experience with an RT who printed out an Encore report from my card and told me that my AHI=0 and that was good because I wasn't having any apneas. The only problem was that my machine was a PR System One DS150, a total BRICK! So the AHI=0 on the report meant NOTHING.

Ah but they do love to pull our legs when we are newbies...

How is EPR the same as AHI?

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