Newbie leak question

[ariana]

Hi, I am about two weeks into treatment with the S9 Auto. Pressures are 9-10, and I am able to sleep some, thanks to suggestions on this site. Have just switched from Sleepweaver mask, which gave me leak rates 13-19 while using surgical tape to secure it, to FF HC431A mask. First night on FF mask: leak rate 10. My question: Is ANY leak rate acceptable? I can't tell where I'm aiming. My AHIs are just under 1 on both masks.

Any help/insight would be appreciated.

[bdp522]

If your machine is set correctly for the mask being used, 0 leak would be perfect. Yo want to be as close to 0 leak as possible. A leak of 10 would be acceptable, meaning the machine will compensate for those leaks. I wouldn't want to go ay higher than 20. If you have the software and can check the leak chart, you want as flat a line as possible. Even though the machine can compensate for some leaks, those leaks could disrupt your sleep.
With an AHI of under 1 is excellent! Keep up the great work!

Brenda

[RoninHouston]

To determine your target for leakage look in your mask booklet. It will have a graph allowing you to determine what the leakage should be for a given pressure.

All mask have holes in them to allow you to eliminate the CO2 you are exhaling. Mask manufacturer's include these charts so you can calculate it. These holes also prevent suffocation.

Your max flow per the chart should be based on your max pressure you hit each night. Any numbers above that number is your leakage. For instance, Hybrid chart starts at a pressure of three, will have a flow of 20.

My machine does not allow me to input a mask type to compensate for the natural mask leakage.

[ariana]

Thanks for the replies to my original post. I assume the reason I want a flat leak rate (if I have to have any at all) is that that means I am not causing leaks by turning over and so on, and am less likely to be awakened when my APAP compensates by going up on pressure.

I just called Fisher & Paykel, manufacturers of the mask, because I could not figure out the relationship of leak numbers to "flow" numbers from looking at the chart of flow rate for different CPAP machine pressures. According to their person, "flow" is what comes out the little venting holes, and it is unrelated to leak. Is that your understanding, too?

[jules]

the machine flows at a certain rate based on your actual mask - that is what is allegedly in the chart / graph that came with you mask

the "leak" for a resmed machine I assume is the excess flow of air based on what mask your machine thinks you are using