Inconsistent AHI values

For about five years I slept connected to a ResMed Aircurve 10 machine. Recently it started malfunctioning and (after some aggravating administrivia involving my physician, two sleep doctors, the equipment retailer and my insurance) I replaced it with a React Health LG3700 with the same air pressure settings. When it was working, the RESMED device typically yielded AHI values of 0.1 to 0.3 or so events per hour. When I moved to the React Health device my AHI values jumped dramatically to between 2 and 8 events per hour. I am told that different vendors have slightly definitions for sleep events, but this is a little off the charts. Both are BiPap machines and I feel pretty much the same after a night’s sleep with either one, suggesting that the issue is more likely a measurement inconsistency than a differing response to the two machines.

This brings up two questions:

(1) Has anybody else seen such a major when changing devices, and
(2) Which set of figures should I believe (if either)?

Thanks for any advice

DanS48 wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 28, 2023 10:51 am

This brings up two questions:

(1) Has anybody else seen such a major when changing devices, and
(2) Which set of figures should I believe (if either)?

I am not familiar with that machine, but as a general rule the AHI reports from home-teatment machines are meant to be used for trending purposes--to see if a change to treatment pressure(s) makes things better or worse on average over time using that same machine. The numbers are not meant for comparing one brand to another or even for direct comparison to lab-NPSG AHI.

DanS48 wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 28, 2023 10:51 am

I replaced it with a React Health

"react health' is a seller, not a manufacturer, they don't make machines.

You've got a Luna G3 something or other.

LG3700 with the same air pressure settings. When it was working, the RESMED device typically yielded AHI values of 0.1 to 0.3 or so events per hour. When I moved to the React Health device my AHI values jumped dramatically to between 2 and 8 events per hour. I am told that different vendors have slightly definitions for sleep events, but this is a little off the charts. Both are BiPap machines and I feel pretty much the same after a night’s sleep with either one, suggesting that the issue is more likely a measurement inconsistency than a differing response to the two machines.

This brings up two questions:

(1) Has anybody else seen such a major when changing devices, and
(2) Which set of figures should I believe (if either)?

Thanks for any advice
[/quote]

There are differences in the way that machines respond to your breathing problems.

You've gone from the best machine, (though we don't know what kind of bilevel you have, since there's five broad, different classes of bilevel (neither are "BiPAP" machines since only philips respironics makes a machine called a "BiPAP")) to something not nearly as good. There's no surprise that your apnea isn't treated as well.