Need to get cpap data analyzed

[bb60]

I have questions as to whether my auto cpap settings are right. I'm told by technician at the place I purchased machine that it's doing it's job. I'm in doubt it is as my sleep study indicated I needed a setting of 14. They set the machine on auto cpap 6-14. I've had it a couple of months and have never seen the pressure go over about 9 on the encore software. Something isn't adding up and the technician couldn't explain it satisfactorily. Also when the pressure comes up I notice the total leaks line also moves up some amount. I don't know the machine is doing anything other than compensating for the leaks. My prescribing doctor is a general practitioner and not too knowledgeable about cpap. Is there someone that could look at my sd card data and give me an evaluation. I wouldn't mind paying for it to get good information.

[chunkyfrog]

If you enter your machine, and other equipment under your profile, someone here should be able to help you with software.
Go to user control panel, profile, equipment. Select from the pull-down menu , and choose text, rather than pictures.
(a lot of them look too much alike) Welcome!

[Stormynights]

I have questions as to whether my auto cpap settings are right. I'm told by technician at the place I purchased machine that it's doing it's job. I'm in doubt it is as my sleep study indicated I needed a setting of 14. They set the machine on auto cpap 6-14. I've had it a couple of months and have never seen the pressure go over about 9 on the encore software. Something isn't adding up and the technician couldn't explain it satisfactorily. Also when the pressure comes up I notice the total leaks line also moves up some amount. I don't know the machine is doing anything other than compensating for the leaks. My prescribing doctor is a general practitioner and not too knowledgeable about cpap. Is there someone that could look at my sd card data and give me an evaluation. I wouldn't mind paying for it to get good information.

The Auto will adjust the pressure to your needs. Maybe you just haven't needed higher pressure yet. How do you feel?

[caffeinatedcfo]

How do you feel and what is the reported AHI?

[bb60]

Average AHI is 2.0 and I feel pretty good. I guess my main question is about the total leaks line showing an increase whenever the pressure shows an increase. I guess if that's normal then maybe the machine is doing it's job. It just made me curious when I never see the pressure go up near the level the sleep study said I needed. It hasn't been that long ago I had the sleep study and all that's changed is I sleep on my stomach nearly all of the time and I slept on my side during the sleep study.

[LSAT]

Average AHI is 2.0 and I feel pretty good. I guess my main question is about the total leaks line showing an increase whenever the pressure shows an increase. I guess if that's normal then maybe the machine is doing it's job. It just made me curious when I never see the pressure go up near the level the sleep study said I needed. It hasn't been that long ago I had the sleep study and all that's changed is I sleep on my stomach nearly all of the time and I slept on my side during the sleep study.

I think your statement is correct but reversed. The pressure is going up because of the leaks...not..the leaks going up because of the pressure. If your AHI is around 2.0 and you are feeling good....everything is working as it should. Often the sleep studies are not conclusive since it is done in only a few hours on one night....vs...sleeping in your own bed night after night.

[Pugsy]

Actually the PR System One machine reports total leak...total leak being the mask's expected vent rate plus any excess leaks.
As pressure increases the vent/intentional leak rate also increases. So what you are seeing is really a normal response to the pressure increase. It's only a problem if you are venturing into large leak territory which for your machine is upwards of 80 L/min or if excess leaks are waking you up.

So you can expect to see the leak line on the graph to increase a bit as pressures increase due to the fact that the mask's expected vent rate will increase and the Respironics machines report the vent rate along with excess leak all in one lump sum.

These new machines don't go increasing pressures trying to fix big leaks like they used to. The older machines used to "chase the leak" with more pressure but these newer technology machines don't do that very much at all anymore. Instead when they sense a big leak at the mask level they reduce the pressure a bit to try to get the mask fit seal to return.

So some leak line movement is to be expected with pressure increases and decreases since total leak is being reported.

ResMed machine users...their machines report only excess leak because the expected vent rate is subtracted before the final leak number is reported. So they won't see as much movement (hopefully) on the leak line.