Just had sleep study and have questions

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Brentrinmn
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Just had sleep study and have questions

Post by Brentrinmn » Sun Feb 20, 2022 12:19 pm

So I had my sleep study last night. The tech did come in and put a mask on me for most of the night until I woke up freaking out and was trying to take it off. I really freaked out when is it was just the nasal mask. I slept for for a long time with the mask that covered both my mouth and nose.

If they put a mask on you during the study does that absolutely mean you have OSA?

And if I do have OSA, what does insurance cover for devices for most insurance plans?? I have a platinum insurance plan through my employer and have already met my deductible and co-insurance. They did cover an at home cervical traction device recently.

And I was ok for long enough during the test the tech said with the mouth and nose mask to track what they needed. What does that mea??

I went to sleep around 8:45pm and she put the mask on around 11 pm and I didn't freak out until around 4:30am. I did sleep a bit longer after freaking out and using the restroom with the nose and mouth mask until around 5:15am. She let me sleep the rest of the morning without the mask. She said she had enough data with the mask on.

I know that you all aren't medical professionals. But 7-10 days waiting for results is an awfully long time to wait. Would love to manage my expectations. And if I do need a CPAP device what's the best mouth and nose mask out there that I won't likely freak out with it on??

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zonker
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Re: Just had sleep study and have questions

Post by zonker » Sun Feb 20, 2022 12:31 pm

Brentrinmn wrote:
Sun Feb 20, 2022 12:19 pm

If they put a mask on you during the study does that absolutely mean you have OSA?
they put on the mask to collect data. you won't know if you have osa or anything until the results of the lab come back. sorry it's taking so long, but try to be patient. i know, it's not easy. but try.
And if I do have OSA, what does insurance cover for devices for most insurance plans??


that's really something that should be directed at your insurance company.
And I was ok for long enough during the test the tech said with the mouth and nose mask to track what they needed. What does that mea??


as i said above, this is how data is collected.

I know that you all aren't medical professionals. But 7-10 days waiting for results is an awfully long time to wait. Would love to manage my expectations. And if I do need a CPAP device what's the best mouth and nose mask out there that I won't likely freak out with it on??
finding a mask is the hardest part of this journey. it seems that you would want something that has minimal contact. i use the P10 mask. looks like this-

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... k-headgear

just btw, cpap.com doesn't take insurance. i'm just using their site to show you what the mask looks like.

good luck!
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Brentrinmn
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Re: Just had sleep study and have questions

Post by Brentrinmn » Sun Feb 20, 2022 12:42 pm

Thank you for the information.

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Pugsy
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Re: Just had sleep study and have questions

Post by Pugsy » Sun Feb 20, 2022 1:08 pm

If they slapped a mask on you in the middle of the night then you have OSA. They wouldn't have done that if they hadn't seen enough apnea events during the time without the mask to make the diagnosis.
It's called a split study....part of the night without anything and then if someone has enough events to meet diagnostic criteria they move on to with a mask and machine the rest of the night.

If they put a mask on you....you met criteria for diagnosis of sleep apnea.

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Brentrinmn
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Re: Just had sleep study and have questions

Post by Brentrinmn » Sun Feb 20, 2022 1:16 pm

Thank you so much. That's what I assumed. But I wanted all folks that have experience. The only person in my life that I know for sure has OSA is my mom and she has Alzheimer's so would not be off much help. She had limited lucid moments.

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Re: Just had sleep study and have questions

Post by Janknitz » Sun Feb 20, 2022 7:00 pm

Ask your insurance for your "Evidence of Coverage". This document outlines exactly what coverage you have for Durable Medical Equipment (DME). The Evidence of Coverage is the actual contract between you and the insurer, although you never see it unless you know to ask. You may b able to see a PDF online, or you may have to request one in writing to be mailed to you. Most states require an insurer to provide it within a short period of time (7 to 10 days) after a request is made in writing.

The Evidence of Coverage will tell you if you have Durable Medical Equipment coverage, if certain things are excluded, what the coverage criteria is, and how they cover it (typically a percentage after you have met your deductible that includes DME). You will also need to know if you get better coverage of DME "in network" or with a "preferred provider".
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JLROhio
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Re: Just had sleep study and have questions

Post by JLROhio » Sun Feb 20, 2022 7:56 pm

Pugsy wrote:
Sun Feb 20, 2022 1:08 pm
If they slapped a mask on you in the middle of the night then you have OSA. They wouldn't have done that if they hadn't seen enough apnea events during the time without the mask to make the diagnosis.
I guy I know, who told a story about his sleep study where he stated they also came in the middle of the night and put him on CPAP.

The next morning when he asked about it...the tech said his OSA was so bad, they didn't want him dying on them during the night and put the mask on him just to avoid the extra paperwork!

I didn't know if I should believe him or not...but it sounded quite amazing!
It would be nice to have some feedback from sleep technicians who work in a sleep lab to chime in on what they do when it's obvious a patient has sleep apnea and it's so bad that they wake the person up to put them on CPAP.
Last edited by JLROhio on Sun Feb 20, 2022 9:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Brentrinmn
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Re: Just had sleep study and have questions

Post by Brentrinmn » Sun Feb 20, 2022 8:46 pm

I so agree. It would have been nice for her to have said something this morning to kind of set expectations.

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Respirator99
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Re: Just had sleep study and have questions

Post by Respirator99 » Sun Feb 20, 2022 8:55 pm

Brentrinmn wrote:
Sun Feb 20, 2022 8:46 pm
I so agree. It would have been nice for her to have said something this morning to kind of set expectations.
Here in Australia, most places have a protocol where the technician (be it a sleep tech, radiographer etc) can't give an opinion until the results are reviewed and reported on by a doctor. Probably the same thing applies in your case. It's really a case of CYA.

When I had my sleep test, I was handed a Resmed S9 before I left the facility and was told to start using it straight away. So there was no doubt about my result.
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dataq1
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Re: Just had sleep study and have questions

Post by dataq1 » Sun Feb 20, 2022 11:18 pm

Respirator99 wrote:
Sun Feb 20, 2022 8:55 pm
Brentrinmn wrote:
Sun Feb 20, 2022 8:46 pm
I so agree. It would have been nice for her to have said something this morning to kind of set expectations.
Here in Australia, most places have a protocol where the technician (be it a sleep tech, radiographer etc) can't give an opinion until the results are reviewed and reported on by a doctor. Probably the same thing applies in your case. It's really a case of CYA.

When I had my sleep test, I was handed a Resmed S9 before I left the facility and was told to start using it straight away. So there was no doubt about my result.
I agree that it may be CYA, but perhaps for a slightly different reason than one might suspect.

In the States, what is considered "practicing medicine", and specifically diagnosis, is regulated by each state's Medical Practices Act. A licensed nurse (RN) , for example, may be prohibited from giving the appearance of diagnosing an ailment, because that is the exclusive bailiwick of the MD.

The consequence, usually brought on by an aggrieved MD, can lead to the suspension or revocation of the nurse's license. But even before a state licensing board takes action, the nurse's employer can suspend her from working at their facility.

So, yes it is CYA, but more so it is "I don't want to lose my license and my occupation by invading the MD's "territory".
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Re: Just had sleep study and have questions

Post by dataq1 » Mon Feb 21, 2022 8:58 am

Brentrinmn wrote:
Sun Feb 20, 2022 12:19 pm
If they put a mask on you during the study does that absolutely mean you have OSA?
Just to amplify on what Pugsey said: Almost all humans have some degree of respiratory dysfunction that interferes with sleep. During that initial 2 hour period of your sleep study those dysfunctions are measured and summarized by a number, AHI (Apnea Hypopnea Index). Usually (and probably universally) a AHI rating of less than 5 is considered unworthy of treatment (intervention).

If you had an AHI of less than 5, it is unlikely that the technician would have proceeded with the next phase of the sleep study, where the technician places the patient with a mask.

The purpose of this second phase of a split study is to begin the process of determining what pressures need to be applied in an attempt to lower the patient's AHI to an acceptable level.

During your next 5 hours, the technician would (manually or automatically) increase the pressure, then observe the result. If, after increasing the pressure and observing for some period of time that the AHI had reduced to acceptable levels, testing could be suspended. This trial and observation process is repeated over and over until the technician is satisfied that some pressure level will achieve a sustained AHI of less than 5.
[at 4:30] She said she had enough data with the mask on.
Implies that she had enough data to suggest a therapy prescription that would achieve a less than 5 AHI.

One thing to keep in mind is that because we humans are dynamic beings (everchanging physiologically as well as everchanging environmental , emotional and aging stresses) a therapy designed to lower AHI will also have to be dynamic. That is to say, that a pressure prescription that just achieves the desired result at this moment in time may prove to be inadequate in the future.

That said, "had enough data....." simply means there is enough information to begin what will likely be a life-long pursuit .
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Re: Just had sleep study and have questions

Post by chunkyfrog » Mon Feb 21, 2022 9:06 am

My doctor approved a split study in advance, but there were not enough events
in the first hours to justify it--but there were enough to diagnose OSA.
So the lab got to stick me for a separate titration study. :twisted:
Had I been allowed an autoset right off the bat, one study would have been enough.
Note: the lab was also the DME--I smelled a rat, but not soon enough.

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Re: Just had sleep study and have questions

Post by kteague » Tue Feb 22, 2022 7:55 am

JLROhio wrote:
Sun Feb 20, 2022 7:56 pm
Pugsy wrote:
Sun Feb 20, 2022 1:08 pm
If they slapped a mask on you in the middle of the night then you have OSA. They wouldn't have done that if they hadn't seen enough apnea events during the time without the mask to make the diagnosis.
I guy I know, who told a story about his sleep study where he stated they also came in the middle of the night and put him on CPAP.

The next morning when he asked about it...the tech said his OSA was so bad, they didn't want him dying on them during the night and put the mask on him just to avoid the extra paperwork!

I didn't know if I should believe him or not...but it sounded quite amazing!
It would be nice to have some feedback from sleep technicians who work in a sleep lab to chime in on what they do when it's obvious a patient has sleep apnea and it's so bad that they wake the person up to put them on CPAP.
Used to be two nights in the sleep lab were routine, 1st night to diagnose then 2nd night to dial in a therapeutic pressure. Maybe the guy you spoke of wasn't originally scheduled for a split study but things changed once he got started.

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JLROhio
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Re: Just had sleep study and have questions

Post by JLROhio » Tue Feb 22, 2022 12:33 pm

kteague wrote:
Tue Feb 22, 2022 7:55 am
Used to be two nights in the sleep lab were routine, 1st night to diagnose then 2nd night to dial in a therapeutic pressure. Maybe the guy you spoke of wasn't originally scheduled for a split study but things changed once he got started.
We were both in the military at the time so I believe they used the same sleep doc and sleep lab.
He did his study about 6-12 months after my study.

My study was how you described it - a two night sleep lab study.
Here was my chain of events.
- Visit with sleep doc, interview, minor physical check-up, scheduled for sleep study.
- 1st night - hooked up to all the wires, pressure thingys, etc... (worst night of sleep of my life)
- Visit to sleep doctor again to get official diagnosis and scheduling for 2nd night in the lab
- 2nd night - connected up to a CPAP and tech spent the night dialing in pressures and also different types of masks.
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My posts are sometimes tongue & cheek w/some snarky sarcasm mixed in.
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Re: Just had sleep study and have questions

Post by clownbell » Tue Feb 22, 2022 1:26 pm

Disagree with dataq1 statement re practicing without a license. Many years ago, that was true. Not today. Today, nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists have prescriptive authority(within limits) and can diagnose conditions within their area of expertise. We don't know the educational level of the person who attended you in the lab. But let's not make knee jerk assumptions.
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