DME-Respironics

[PapHater]

I have been busy all day so please forgive my lack of using on the search button. I got a surprise call from my DME today (hadn't seen the doc for my post study follow up yet) and I'm scheduled to go in tomorrow to receive my cpap machine. I asked the gal if she knew what machine I was getting and she said that the respiratory therapist primarily uses Respironics. Being that I thought I would see the doc before I got my machine I was all geared up to ask her to write a prescription specifically for the S9 autoset.

My issue is that I need a machine will for sure flag centrals. Long story short, in 2007 my titration study netted me a pressure of 15 and a bunch of central episodes that weren't there on my baseline study. Now the titration study I had last week (was supposed to be for an asv unit) cleared up all of my obstructions with a pressure of 7 and no centrals appeared. Due to the pretty big discrepancy in the two I want the best data I can get-especially on the centrals.

So that leads me to my question of which Respironics machine is going to fit the bill?

Again sorry for not being better informed, up until this point I though that I was settled in on the S9.

[Pugsy]

So that leads me to my question of which Respironics machine is going to fit the bill?

Any PR System One machine with model 450 or above (model number is on the bottom of the blower unit)
Names are a little harder because Respironics calls every thing Remstar.

These gather full data and it includes flagging of centrals.
So the 450 model is the PR System One Remstar Pro with CFlex...it's a straight cpap mode machine
Model 460 is the same thing but comes with the new 60 series heated hose option....it is also a straight cpap mode machine but does have some limited APAP mode capabilities (which we can make it not so limited )

Model 550 is the PR System One Remstar Auto CPAP with AFlex machine....cpap mode and apap modes available.
Model 560 is the same thing but with the 60 series heated hose.

Model numbers below 450 won't gather any data on their SD cards except hours of use.
There is the PR System One Plus Cpap with CFlex....that's model 250 and there is a 260 for the heated hose.
There is also the bare bones basic machine the PR System One CPAP...it doesn't even have CFlex and its model is 150.

Sounds like you already know about the S9 ResMed machines...the 550/560 is the APAP comparable to the S9 Autoset.

[~Q~]

Paphater,

The machine I have is respironics (see my footer) and it collects every bit as much data as the S9. Im pretty new to this, but Ive been told the respironics series 60 a-flex auto is equivalent to an S9 auto. The S9 auto is just really popular on this forum. I imported my first nights data into sleepyhead and it flagged several different types of events.

When I was researching local DME's in my area, Portland Oregon, I was finding 3/4 stocked respironic units and had to order Resmed units. Not sure why that is, but it seems to support what you were finding in terms of them been popular with the docs.

Q

[PapHater]

Awesome, thanks Pugsy.

Right now I'm using an oral appliance. When I got my first machine back in 07 the sleep doc was counting on the centrals going away on their own. I tried for a little over 10 months and it was an awful experience. Once it was finally decided that straight cpap wasn't working I was offered the route of doing the Bipap but the doc basically said that she doubted it would help complex apnea. So at that point I scrapped any sort xpap and I've had an oral appliance ever since. It does a decent job but it's more of a getting by than an actual "fix."

This last titration study was supposed to start with straight cpap and then go to the asv once the centrals appeared but they never showed up. They also cleared up all of my obstructions with half the pressure they used last time That one really has me scratching my head.

[PapHater]

Paphater,

The machine I have is respironics (see my footer) and it collects every bit as much data as the S9. Im pretty new to this, but Ive been told the respironics series 60 a-flex auto is equivalent to an S9 auto. The S9 auto is just really popular on this forum. I imported my first nights data into sleepyhead and it flagged several different types of events.

When I was researching local DME's in my area, Portland Oregon, I was finding 3/4 stocked respironic units and had to order Resmed units. Not sure why that is, but it seems to support what you were finding in terms of them been popular with the docs.

Q

Thanks Q.

[Pugsy]

Well 7 cm is going to be a lot nicer than 15 cm...also if the prior centrals were related to the higher pressure there's a good chance that maybe they won't rear their ugly head at 7 cm.

You do need to have a full efficacy data machine though so make sure you know your models.
In the ResMed line avoid anything with Escape in the name.

Regarding the S9 vs the PR S1 models...minor pros and cons with either one. I have both brands in the bilevel line and they both are great machines. The PR S1 will also flag periodic breathing and if you do end up with centrals and periodic breathing the flow graphs show PB much easier. ResMed doesn't flag PB separately and the flow can be evaluated but it is much more work.
Used to be the S9 and the heated hose Climateline was a definite advantage but now with the PR S1 60 series and heated hose option that advantage is no longer an issue.