Choosing between AutoSet Spirit and Remstar Auto with CFLEX

Fifi · Post by **Fifi** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 3:47 pm

I may have undiagnosed central apnea and at the moment I have a fixed pressure machine and am considering buying one of these machines.

Does any one know how either of these machines copes with central episodes. Has anybody tried both machines?

I am also interested in puchasing the software to keep an eye on what is happening with my sleep and of course feed this info to doctors as and if the need arises.

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:23 pm

Hi Fifi,

I may be wrong but my understanding of a central apnea is it is not caused by a restriction in the airway but a malfunction in the message from the brain to keep breathing. If so do any of the xpap machines prevent central apneas or central hypopneas?

chrisp · Post by **chrisp** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:46 pm

The PB 420E feels your heartbeat as a change of pressure while your airway is open and your not breathing...There is a post explaining this..I'll top it if I find it..

Cheers,

Chris

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 5:02 pm

Chrisp,

I did a little checking myself because I knew my PB420E was "intune" with reacting to central apneas. What the machine is actually doing though is NOT reacting to central apneas. Increased pressure on a central apnea can actually cause more central apneas because it makes the brain think that you are actually breathing when your not. Machines like the PB420E are great for people that have Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) but also have Central sleep apnea (CSA). It is able to treat the OSA and not worsen the CSA. It does not treat the CSA...this is usually treated with drugs.

Spiritus · Post by **Spiritus** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 5:08 pm

Fifi wrote:I may have undiagnosed central apnea and at the moment I have a fixed pressure machine and am considering buying one of these machines.

Does any one know how either of these machines copes with central episodes. Has anybody tried both machines?

I am also interested in puchasing the software to keep an eye on what is happening with my sleep and of course feed this info to doctors as and if the need arises.

Hi FiFi,

I just purchased a ResLink for my Spirit, and it delivers a staggering amount of information. It does things like snore, apnea, hypopnea, flattening, and comes with a Pulse Ox meter.

Rob

chrisp · Post by **chrisp** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 5:10 pm

Hey Muck,
I guess thats why I feel better using the 420E, It doesn't blow me
away during my central apneas.. Explains why my pressure is much lower also....sure hated that old S-5..blew me up like a balloon.........and the headaches........

Chris

sinemac · Post by **sinemac** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 5:11 pm

Any idea on whether the REMstar Auto can also "detect" a central, and therefore NOT increase pressure when one happens?

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 5:14 pm

Hi again Fifi,

If it's a machine that will avoid mistakenly treating your central apneas with a pressure increase the Puritan Bennett 420E auto may be what you need. In rereading you original post I'm unclear if that is what you looking for.

Fifi · Post by **Fifi** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 2:25 pm

Thank you Wading Thru, you have answered my question.

I have not even heard of the 420. Do you have any idea how it differs from the others. From the various postings I now understand how the C-FLEX BI-Pap and auto work.

How is the 420 different?

sinemac · Post by **sinemac** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 2:40 pm

Here's what I got from Respironics support when I asked about how the REMstar Auto CFlex deals with centrals:

The Remstar Auto attempts to correct all apneas. If the Auto detects an apnea that does not respond to two incremental pressure increases it will back off the pressure to the point it was at when the apnea occurred and wait for the apnea to end. It will mark this in the record as a "non responsive apnea". The Auto does not have the effort sensors to determine if the apnea is truly a central apnea. It will record the "non responsive apneas" and it ultimately does not increase pressure for these events.

Scott

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 2:42 pm

Hi Fifi,

Glad I finally got straight in my head the answer you were looking for. In reading on the subject after your original post, the issue with cpap and central apneas is that they can be made worse by cpap therapy. To rectify this Puritan Bennett has incorporated into their auto-pap the ability to distinguish between apneas with cardiac oscillations (obstructive apneas) and apneas without cardiac oscillations (central apneas). How they do it I'm sure is a closely guarded trade secret.

If you haven't seen the Puritan Bennett 420 series machines, check them out at cpap.com. They are ultra small and simple but packed with great features. They are also very affordable (comparatively). In cpap.com's Oct or Nov newsletter they have a picture of the new integrated heated humidifier soon to be out for these models.

Mask

Choosing between AutoSet Spirit and Remstar Auto with CFLEX

Choosing between AutoSet Spirit and Remstar Auto with CFLEX

Re: Choosing between AutoSet Spirit and Remstar Auto with CF