does a mask liner ruin the AHI and mask fit readouts?

[Sleepless in DC]

My mask liner from PadaCheek seems to provide a better mask fit, reduce leaks and ease skin irritation. But... the readout says I have low to 0% mask fit. Which is not how it feels. And... my AHI readings are below 5, where they should be. Is the liner simply messing up the readings? Or is there a real problem and I need to dump the mask liner?

[NoOnesPerfect]

Mask fit readings are based on leak rates, so if the liner reduces leaks, it will also improve the mask fit readings. A certain amount of leakage is “built in” to the Resmed chart on OSCAR and on the Resmed machines, so if you have one of those (it would be helpful if you were to fill in the equipment section of your profile), getting a great fit reading is not unusual. If you are saying you are getting a lousy fit, that would require some work to fix.

AHI is calculated based on detected breathing activity, so again, the mask liner would have no impact on the reading. If your mask fits better and is more comfortable, you are likely just getting better therapy from your machine. On the other hand, if the mask fit is bad (leak rate is high) the machine will have problems delivering therapy and measuring the results.

[chunkyfrog]

Below 5 is considered barely acceptable.
What are your machine settings?
Oh, and please fill out your equipment, so we can help you better.

[Sleepless in DC]

Thank you, both. I added the equipment information. As I say, it is odd that with the liner it feels to me leaks are much improved - but the data show terrible mask fit. And the AHI below 5 is optimal, I believe.

[Pugsy]

I assume when you say that you are seeing 0% for mask fit that is the number off the machine LCD screen or maybe the DreamMapper app.
Is that correct?

Do you by chance have facial hair?

We really need to see exactly what the leak rate is doing because Respironics machines can handle a substantial leak rate before they get into trouble.....if you are seeing such bad numbers for leak control I can't help but wonder if the leaks are so bad that the machine is also missing apnea events. Meaning if leaks are really bad then the below AHI you are seeing may not be accurate. You might be having a bunch of apnea events and the machine simply is so far into large leak territory it doesn't sense they are happening. I will let some large leaks slide but I wouldn't be happy with a 0% number for mask fit. That's really bad and not acceptable at all. It means that there is a potential for the machine to miss apnea events and we sure don't want to go happily along thinking the AHI is 4 and maybe the machine is missing 10 per hour because of the leak. We have to dig deeper.

Your machine is compatible with OSCAR
OSCAR https://www.sleepfiles.com/OSCAR/
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.ph ... stallation
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.ph ... rpretation

Please review this thread for graph formatting. We don't need or want all the graphs that you will get. You can get all we need on one image.
viewtopic/t158560/How-to-post-images-for-review.html

[Sleepless in DC]

Yes and yes. I have a work-from-home pandemic beard. I will shave. And I have never heard of OSCAR, I am somewhat new to this. Thank you!

[Pugsy]

Ahhhh....full face mask and a beard and a mask liner...and the Amara View isn't the easiest of masks to get a seal with even without facial hair. Doesn't surprise me that the machine thinks the seal is far from ideal.

Let's see just how bad the leak is. If it is barely into large leak territory the AHI is probably fairly accurate but I have seen some Respironics machines essentially go totally nuts when faced with a really deep into large leak territory leak.

[Tyrlaan]

I seem to be running into the same issue.

I just picked up a padacheek liner because my mask would "fart" multiple times over the course of the night and nothing I tried seemed to stop it. Complete silence now with the liner, but the machine always shows me that glaring red frowny face each morning since I've been using the liner.

[Okie bipap]

Have you tried emailing Karen at Padacheek for advice? You may have the liner adjusted wrong.