Smaller Hose Surprising AHI Results

[rbrown3rd]

I just replaced my CPAP hose. After installing it, I realized I had used one of those small diameter, "travel", hoses. Being too tired to change it to a regular one, I went to sleep with plans to change it in the morning. On awakening I was surprised to read that my AHI for the night was 1.0 instead of the usual 3.0 - 4.0. I decided to try it again last night and again awoke to an AHI of 1.0. I seem to sense a slightly restricted airflow due to the smaller diameter of the hose. What's going on?

[Pugsy]

Your hose diameter should match the hose diameter choice on the machine. If it doesn't then things won't work right and that nice low AHI might be meaningless.
Did you change the hose diameter on the machine's clinical setup? See the manual if you don't have any idea what I am talking about.
https://sleep.tnet.com/home/files/resme ... -guide.pdf

The AirSense machine will automatically adjust diameter if the hose is a heated hose...otherwise for all other hose diameters you have to manually make the correct selection.

[D.H.]

The effective pressure delivered might be different than the set pressure. If that's the case, it's possible that you accidentally found more nearly ideal setting. While 2 to 3 is generally considered acceptable, 1 is certainly better!

I don't think that a narrower hose would cause the machine to "miss" events.

[rbrown3rd]

I'm changing back to the correct hose. Too many variables to know what's going on.

[Pugsy]

You can use the smaller hose ....you just have to make sure that the machine knows what size hose you are using.

[D.H.]

Try both hoses and to see if the results are consistent over several nights or if this was just a one-time oddity. If the results are consistent, you will need to use the narrower hose or figure out what pressure will accomplish the same with pressure as the narrower hose. If can know how to achieve a lower AHI, you should do so. They say up to 5 is OK, but that is arbitrary. Lower is always better!

[ChicagoGranny]

Too many variables to know what's going on

Good for you. Not too many here understand that principle.