Forced CPAP use in hospital?

Guest111 · Post by **Guest111** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 9:43 am

I'm new to cpap and not really getting along too well. I know, I know... I'm still trying. I have to go in the hospital for unrelated surgery and I know they are going to be hounding me to use it. Sometimes though I just have to rip that thing off. And since I'm going to be in pain after surgery and not in a good mood at all, I'm thinking I'm not going to be able to tolerate it for much time. Last time in the hospital I barely slept. Question is can they use restraints onme if I keep taking the mask off? Strange question, just wondering if anyone knew. Thanks

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 9:58 am

Why are you having surgery, if you don't care about your health. CPAP is needed for your health. As for as pain, I think they use med's to control that, they did for me, except, when they put the defibulator in. (I'd have been better off using my VET.) I gladly use my XPAP, because I know it makes my life better, actually without it, I would hardly have a life. Jim

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tangents · Post by **tangents** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:03 am

I hope your surgery goes well. Maybe the pain meds will make you sleepy enough that you will tolerate your CPAP better. You'll certainly heal better with oxygen going to your organs. Good luck to you.

guest111 · Post by **guest111** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:07 am

Yes, I know. I didn't say I've given up, but I'm new and would just rather not deal with the aggravation for that week. I've probably had this for 10 years and just got diagnosed so I'm thinking another week on top of the 10 years without a machine won't kill me. (Please no comments) . The other thing is after a couple months, CPAP has not helped me at all. Just went to doc, said my numbers didn't look bad. Upped my pressure. Only been a couple days, still no help.

kteague · Post by **kteague** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:19 am

Guest111,

I can't imagine they would force you to use it. A friend has been in the hospital a lot recently, and they made it available to her. However, she was on monitors for her heart and oxygen, and it would be noticed if she was having critical issues. There's been quite a bit of publicity lately about people dying from apnea post surgery. I would wonder about liability though if you choose to be noncompliant against their medical advice. If something did go wrong, I could imagine insurance fighting any claims in court. (That was just me thinking out loud.)

Maybe if you are heavily medicated a couple days it would be an excellent chance to get used to the feel of the mask - you may not even notice it.

One thing that worked in her favor was every time she went in she had different shifts of RT's monitoring her usage to ask questions. She got to try different machines and masks because she's usually admitted in crisis so the squad doesn't dismantle her machine to take it. Maybe you could "forget" yours.

If you're having that much trouble with using your machine and mask, you could use some help with problem solving instead of advice on avoidance. There are people on here who would be more than glad to troubleshoot with you.

Hope your hospitalization goes well.

Kathy
Addendum: Other posts were made while I was typing. Not trying to beat you over the head with well wishes.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:19 am

I realize faceing surgery, the timing is poor, but you need to join and fill in your profile and comments on your pressure, so you can get help and deal with your problems on XPAP. The way things stand you and the Dr. are guessing at your treatment and it needs to be made to work. Jim

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:24 am

My guesses (as to why your therapy isn't working) is that you have a machine that doesn't record nightly details and you have a nasal mask and are leaking therapy air out your mouth.

How am I doin' with those two?

Den

brackstone · Post by **brackstone** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 11:13 am

At the very least I'd make sure they have that mask on you while you are sleeping. There was a woman that died because she didn't have CPAP on while she was knocked out.

NightHawkeye · Post by **NightHawkeye** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:05 pm

Guest111, the place in hospitals where CPAP patients die is in the recovery room after surgery, as the patients drift in and out of consciousness. Often, nobody is watching the patient continuously, and so when apnea occurs, if the patient doesn't rouse from slumber by himself, then . . ., well, it's post-mortem time.

Make sure you have someone, spouse, friend, neighbor, with you full-time from the moment you are wheeled from the operating room. In the operating room, apnea is not a problem. Even if it were, the anesthesiologist's full-time job is monitoring you.

I'd also recommend you tell them to put you on CPAP after surgery. The time in the recovery room is short, and you probably won't be alert enough to be bothered by the CPAP. It's a lifesaver though.

Regards,
Bill

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:35 pm

I also wanted to chime in with the fact that the medication they will have you on post surgery will probably make your apnea worse than on a normal night.

I was just put on time released morphine for chronic pain. I was a little worried about it wondering if my doctor remembered I had apnea. I called him as soon as their office opened (he had forgotten) but as long as I have my machine on, and I am using APAP, I will be fine. Pain medications, as well as sleeping medications, exacerbate the issues of apnea. Please consider wearing your machine. And definitely let your anesthesiologist know before the surgery (which I'm sure you had intended to do)

Guest111 · Post by **Guest111** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:36 pm

Yes, thanks. I'm having intestinal surgery and they are saying I'll be in for a few days to a week so I'm kinda worried about the 2-5 days after surgery that I'm gonna be stuck there. Plus it'll be even worse in there because I normally sleep on my stomach but since that will be cut open, I'll be sleeping on my back which is absolutely misery for me. Just another reason I'm concerned I'll be so miserable I won't be able to tolerate it at that time. I'm sure in recovery it won't be an option to take it off and I'll be so out of it I'm not too worried about that.

lvwildcat · Post by **lvwildcat** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:01 pm

OK as an ICU RN for the past 27 years heres my answer to the "can they restrain me" question. We restrain patients when its necessary for their safety(you wouldn't believe how many people get restrained and crawl out of bed) if we think they can harm themselves or staff-by that if a patient has a breathing tube necessary for their well being-they may need restraints to prevent them from accidently or deliberately pulling out the tube. In the case of pulling off a mask-No they should not be able to restrain you based on that entirely.While it is inconvenient to keep putting the mask back on the patient-too bad-they have to watch closely. As long as you're not pulling out IVs... I would say "no you don't meet the criteria for restraints"

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 3:27 pm

Wulfman wrote:My guesses (as to why your therapy isn't working) is that you have a machine that doesn't record nightly details and you have a nasal mask and are leaking therapy air out your mouth.

How am I doin' with those two?

Den

Oh Wulfman, no I don't think so cause I have the M series Pro and when I brought the card in to the doc last week, he thought my data looked ok. Didn't complain about anything. I was using a Swift for the latest data he looked at, but since then got them to get me a Breeze. It's almost right. I can sleep on my stomach but it presses into my nose too much - the mask itself, not from hitting the pillow or anything. I have to look at at my data, I think the Breeze might be giving me more leaks.

Yes, I even went through the trouble of getting a card reader, etc. So if anyone was thinking I was just a lazy uninterested user, please take it back. I was really trying. But after several months with not a lick of improvement, it's getting real tough.

SleepySandy · Post by **SleepySandy** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 4:53 pm

Please make sure everyone who cares for you is aware you have CPAP, particularly your anesthesiologist and surgeon.

It's enormously important, as is shown in this article originally posted by muld00n:

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/ ... 70,00.html

Please read the original thread with the comments about the article:

viewtopic.php?p=161382

Take care.

tangents · Post by **tangents** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 5:10 pm

So if anyone was thinking I was just a lazy uninterested user, please take it back

I wasn't thinking that, and I'll bet nobody else was, either. What comes through in your posts is frustration at not being able to get consistent and comfortable treatment. I can't imaging how hard it must be to be a stomach sleeper! Have you looked at the PAP Pillow that they sell on CPAP.COM? It might be just what you need.

Keep in touch, and let us know how you're doing. It's difficult to ask questions sometimes without seeming like we're grilling you, but more information will help the kind people here to make suggestions.

Take care, and good luck!
Cathy

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