my AI is 5.4, is it OK number?

[johnhelen]

Hi

I just had a ResMed S9 Elite for 2.5 weeks. Here is my data result

============
Device Settings
Therapy Mode: CPAP Set Pressure: 7.0 cmH2O EPR: Full_Time
EPR Level: 3.0 cmH2O
Pressure - cmH2O
Median: 7.0 95th Percentile: 7.0 Maximum: 7.0
Leak - L/min
Median: 0.0 95th Percentile: 4.8 Maximum: 9.6
AHI & AI - Events/hr
Apnea index: 5.4 AHI: 5.4 Obstructive: 3.6
Central: 1.0 Unknown: 0.0 Hypopnea index: 0.0
===========

It can be seen that I have AI is 5.4 and AHI: 5.4. Is that number is too high, should I increase presure for the machine?

Many thanks
john

[Big Daddy RRT,RPSGT]

An AHI<5 is considered "normal" but many people feel improvement in how they sleep/feel by lowering the AHI to as low as possible especially if they are not pressure sensitive. In other words if increased pressure eliminates some respiratory events but causes more sleep disturbance is it a benefit? You can only know by trying.

[bdp522]

You want the AHI to be under 5.0, anything over that is not good. Many of us find 5.0 to be too high and feel better at a lower AHI. If it were me I would try a higher pressure for a week(at least 4 days) to see how I felt and what the AHI was. I would raise the pressure by .5 at a time.

Brenda

[Nord]

Hi

I just had a ResMed S9 Elite for 2.5 weeks. Here is my data result

============
Device Settings
Therapy Mode: CPAP Set Pressure: 7.0 cmH2O EPR: Full_Time
EPR Level: 3.0 cmH2O
Pressure - cmH2O
Median: 7.0 95th Percentile: 7.0 Maximum: 7.0
Leak - L/min
Median: 0.0 95th Percentile: 4.8 Maximum: 9.6
AHI & AI - Events/hr
Apnea index: 5.4 AHI: 5.4 Obstructive: 3.6
Central: 1.0 Unknown: 0.0 Hypopnea index: 0.0
===========
It can be seen that I have AI is 5.4 and AHI: 5.4. Is that number is too high, should I increase presure for the machine?

Hi John

Were you titrated at 7cm ?? Did you see your Sleep reports for other pressures ??
You don't mention... are these numbers for 1 night or an average for the 2.5 weeks ??
What was you AHI for diagnosis ?? Are there any complications ??
How do you feel ?? How many hrs of sleep ??

AHI = 5.4 should be OA + CA + UA + H doesn't add up so I'm guessing it is the average
At OA = 3.6 its really not a worry.

You have to consider the whole picture and gradually pull the AHI down as low as you can...
Playing with pressures may/ may not be your answer...
But this is a marathon... not a race. Its for the long term.

Nord

[johnhelen1]

Thanks all
That is the result for 2.5 weeks for only one pressure level and about 6.50 hours/day. 7cm is from a technical guy
Ok, I will use the machine for a little more time
John

[SleepingUgly]

I think we feel about the AHI like about grades in school, remember??

AHI <1 is Summa cum Laude status
AHI <2 is magna cum laude
AHI <3 is cum laude
AHI <4 is egregia cum laude (don't ask me what it means)
AHI <5 is still a diploma
AHI <6 is why'd you even bother?

5 is not a magic number. It's a made up number. Because it was made up by important people it seems like it's a magic number. Something changes when you're below the magic number (elation!), and if you're above the magic number we're and and maybe a little

But here's my theory, which I like to bring out now and then just to annoy the die-hards: There is error of measurement. Of course there is, because this isn't even a sleep lab. If you have any doubt whether there is error in measurement, stay awake for a bit running the machine and look at the data. "OMG, how could I have so many events while I'm AWAKE for godsake! My friends don't have so many events when they are awake! I am a failure." So, if there's error in measurement, then every number has a confidence interval around it. With 90% confidence, my "true" AHI is 2.5 +/- 4.8. "Mom and Dad, in the hosehead olympics, your daughter performed somewhere between Summa cum Laude and Summa cum Loser. Congratulations! See you again tomorrow night!"

[SleepingUgly]

Several times I've given the opinion that an AHI is subject to measurement error and that it should have a confidence interval associated with it. Therefore, there is no such thing as "My AHI is 68" or whatever, but "My AHI is 68 +/- X, with 95% certainty". I finally googled to see if anyone has written on this subject and low and behold, I actually found this:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2564784/

[Big Daddy RRT,RPSGT]

Is any AHI is exactl? Well your AHI varies by sleep position, exhaustion, alcohol use, medications, nasal stuffiness, allergies so many variations. Also a more strict scoring tech, a more forgiving tech, variations in sleep lab technique (nasal/oral, thermister, thermocouple, pressure transducer?) two belts...three belts, 2 nasals, 1 nasal?

One thing is for sure...if your a 68 and I overscored half your events you would still have been "severe" so the exact number is not as important as it's made out to be. On the other hand if you have an AHI of 5...half makes a difference...one way you "qualify" to try CPAP...the other way you don't. What's a more important question...will you benefit from CPAP if you are this mild?....some do...some don't. So at our sleep lab we try to be extra careful when scoring very mild sleep apnea so we get the most accurate diagnosis and then evaluate symptoms to see who might benefit from pap therapy. AHI is 8 and you feel great, no cardiac disease...why try CPAP? AHI of 8, your sleep is disrupted, feeling drowsy, high blood pressure...you might benefit.

Your AHI is 4 you feel good...AHI 6 you feel horrible...I don't think so but I know a few points this way or that makes a difference in how I feel.