Can we trust our machine's data?

[eaglett1111]

I still haven't downloaded my sleepyhead data, mostly because I haven't gotten around to getting the interface I need to connect with my laptop.

That said, my CPAP is registering 0% AHI. I don't know how that can be, since I wake up .... alot.... at night. Maybe every 1.5 hours. I don't necessarily feel tired in the a.m, but am really really frustrated. Do you think my machine may be reading the data wrong?

[BlackSpinner]

Machines can be wrong because they are broken.
You really need to check the data in detail to see what is happening, very few people have an AHI of 0 and then only occasionally.

[Pugsy]

The Respironics machines have very limited data available on the LCD screen.
So the numbers can be trusted but you have to understand the limitations and what you are seeing.

You get an average for the last 7 days and 30 days AHI and you get only % of time spent in large leak. That is all that is available from the LCD screen on the machine.

To get a large leak flag the leak has to be massive. Smaller leaks won't get flagged on the % number but you can see them on the software reports. Even if the leak is small it might disrupt sleep so unwanted. Might cause frequent wake ups fiddling with the mask or whatever.
Also you might also only be having leaks up to maybe 5 L/min below large leak territory. That is still a pretty massive leak but it won't even show up on the LCD screen.

The AHI shown...that is average overall number of events per hour for either the last 7 nights or 30.
The % number you see is for percent of the time in large leak only. It doesn't mean you aren't leaking....it just means you haven't hit large leak territory.

[eaglett1111]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll work on being able to download the Sleepyhead data this week, and figure this out.

[Sir NoddinOff]

You get an average for the last 7 days and 30 days AHI and you get only % of time spent in large leak. That is all that is available from the LCD screen on the machine.

The AHI shown...that is average overall number of events per hour for either the last 7 nights or 30.
The % number you see is for percent of the time in large leak only. It doesn't mean you aren't leaking....it just means you haven't hit large leak territory.

True as far as that goes, Pugsy, but with one caveat: You can easily reset your machines collected data to zero every day using the Clinician's Menu. That way you'll only be getting that one night's data collection. I find this much more useful than the 7 - 30 day averages. How do you do these magical things? Try this URL and get your machine's manuals: http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual

I guess some people aren't allowed to tinker with their data collection, ie. a brick machine, usage verification or maybe a doctor's admonishment. I guess they are just in a 'pickle' then.

[eaglett1111]

Thank you!

I did play with the machine today to see if it records cessation of breathing, and it does. I merely held my breath after an exhale a few times. The machine makes a certain tone after a few seconds. When I checked the recording, it recorded the incidents. I've just reset it (thanks to the previous poster).

[Pugsy]

We used to do that reset to zero all the time with the M series machine because we had to use a special card reader that cost a bit of money and took a while to get to us. I did it till I got my card reader. Since this also resets any summary or compliance issues to zero if someone has to prove to their insurance company that they are meeting any hours of use compliance then I don't suggest it until they figure out some way to make the DME happy.
If no need to make the DME or insurance happy then people can do what they want.
BTW that little reset to zero trick will also let someone use the Auto IQ machine indefinitely in APAP mode. Reset to zero renews the 30 day APAP trial period.

[eaglett1111]

good point. Since my DME just sent my data to my insurance company, I expect I have a few months before they are going to need proof that again that I am using it.

Can't wait to get the Sleepyhead info to see if there is something else there that I can do to facilitate sleep. I am not sure what keeps waking me up. I wonder if it's trying to breathe through my mouth, because I can expect that feeling would totally wake me up. I don't have gas or belching.......... Anyhow there are more questions than answers right now, and I'm just rattling. I'm very very tired today. Not making much sense,, but I know you guys understand

[Goofproof]

I still haven't downloaded my sleepyhead data, mostly because I haven't gotten around to getting the interface I need to connect with my laptop.

That said, my CPAP is registering 0% AHI. I don't know how that can be, since I wake up .... alot.... at night. Maybe every 1.5 hours. I don't necessarily feel tired in the a.m, but am really really frustrated. Do you think my machine may be reading the data wrong?

You have found a better method? Unless you have a standing appointment for a sleep study EVERY night that's reliable, I doubt it.

If you keep your leak rate low, the machines data is all you need to maximize your treatment. Going out for that sleep study every night will soon get old, and costly. Jim

The data is only valid when you are sleeping, playing fool the machine doesn't provides reliable data.

[eaglett1111]

Goofproof - I agree. I just had my study a month and a half ago. Not about to have another for awhile (can't afford it even if they would do it). I am so new to this diagnosis. I had a honeymoon period for the first week that was amazing, and now every other day there is something new jerking me around. I need alot more time on this machine and I need to learn alot more about the resources that the community is providing here, including getting Sleepyhead up and running.

[greatunclebill]

does sleepyhead even work with the model 460 in the profile? you may need encore basic.

[Pugsy]

does sleepyhead even work with the model 460 in the profile? you may need encore basic.

SleepyHead won't work with model 460...that is the 60 series with the heated hose humidifier.

OP has EncoreBasic...I am pretty sure I sent it to her already...if not, she can send me a note and I will get her pointed to it.
I don't remember...I will send it again just in case.

[eaglett1111]

Thanks guys. Had no idea!!!!

[robysue]

You get an average for the last 7 days and 30 days AHI and you get only % of time spent in large leak. That is all that is available from the LCD screen on the machine.

The AHI shown...that is average overall number of events per hour for either the last 7 nights or 30.
The % number you see is for percent of the time in large leak only. It doesn't mean you aren't leaking....it just means you haven't hit large leak territory.

True as far as that goes, Pugsy, but with one caveat: You can easily reset your machines collected data to zero every day using the Clinician's Menu. That way you'll only be getting that one night's data collection.

This works if and only if noon Greenwich Meridian Time isn't in the middle of your sleep period AND you wait until noon GMT to check the data. If you reset the data before going to sleep, it will read AHI = 0.0 until noon GMT, which is when the machine updates the data. And by resetting the machine daily, NONE of the data recorded after noon GMT will show up in the LCD data on either the day it was recorded or the next day. (It will be on the SD card and will show up when you download the data into Sleepy Head or Encore.)

It's not much of a problem on the East coast of the US: In the summer noon GMT = 8:00 AM EDT. Let's assume that you reset the data to zero every every day sometime before you go to bed. As long as you are up before 8:00 AM, the whole night's data goes into the LCD's report. As long as you check the LCD data after 8:00, it will be accurate. If you check the LCD data before 8:00 AM, however, it will read AHI = 0.0 because the machine has not updated the LCD yet.

It's much more problematic for folks living on the Pacific Coast. In summer noon GMT = 5:00 PDT. Let's assume that you typically get up around 6:30 AM PDT. If you reset the data to 0 sometime before you go to bed on Monday night, when you get up on Tuesday morning at 6:30 AM PSD, the LCD data will only reflect what happened between bedtime and 5:00 AM. The data recorded between 5:00 and 6:30AM won't show up as part of the LCD's 7 and 30 day averages until Wednesday morning---if you don't reset the machine during the daytime on Tuesday. And if you do reset the data to 0 on Tuesday, the data recorded between 5:00 AM Tuesday and 6:30 AM Tuesday will not show up in the Wednesday morning LCD data when the LCD data is updated at noon GMT.


Is this a stupid way to do things? Yes. But unfortunately PR does not allow the machine's clock to be reset, nor do they provide a way to change the time the machine updates the LCD data.