Auto SV, Encore and SpO2 questions

Baby's Daddy wrote:If the LCD indicates 8 Hours sleep and the AHI indicates 6.0, does that mean AHI of 0.75 or 6.0 per hour?

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6.0. The "Index" part in "Apnea/Hypopnea Index" implies it is per hour.

BiPAPBefuddled wrote:... First, I really want to register. In fact, I already did. Well, sort of ... A few weeks ago, I completed the form – email address, “yes, I am a human” etc. – everything except a username. Couldn’t think of anything clever, so I started to type in “NeedSleep.” Unfortunately, the dog nudged my right elbow after the “d” which caused me to accidentally hit the “enter” key which means my username is “Need.” It’s pretty lame - and needlessly meaningless.

I have tried to undo it, but to no avail. Seems one can change anything in one’s profile except the username. I also tried to register a new username. No luck with that either because “[my] email address is already associated with another username.” Any ideas? Is there an administrator or moderator who can wave a wand o’er the database? ...

I will send a PM to the forumadmin to have them delete your old account. It might take a day or two for them to get to it.

BiPAPBefuddled wrote:... Second, does anybody know how to set the time on the Respironics BiPAP Auto SV / SmartCard / EncoreViewer? While the date is correct, the time displayed on my data is approximately 35 minutes slow. That is, if I start the machine at, say, 10:49 pm, the time will show up on the next morning’s screen/printout as 10:14 pm. Same thing for shutdown in the morning – it’s also off by the same 35 minutes. It’s not a big deal, but it would make correlation with the SpO2 and “ZEO” sleep data a little easier. ...

Once you are registered, I will send you a PM showing you the location of the provider manual. You can use that to change the date and time on the machine.

BiPAPBefuddled wrote:... Third, after being on the Auto SV for a few months, it began to turn on me – at least that’s how it feels. Just as a couple of others have reported on this forum, the machine often seems to take on a mind of its own. The machine’s breath rate and pressure escalate without cause. I try to sync my breathing with it, but it won’t give in. If I turn the machine off and right back on, the rate returns to “normal” for a few breaths. But then the same scenario recurs. The feeling is frightening. Can’t breathe, in or out. When I’m halfway through an inhale, it seems to stop the flow … almost sucking the air out. Same thing when I exhale … except that it seems to try to pop or push the air back in. To say that it wakes me up is an understatement. And it also can happen before I’ve fallen asleep.

I suspect that this behavior is rooted in the machine’s “three minute programming” - that it somehow over-reacts or ends up in an over-compensation endless loop. I’ll try to provide more details after I get registered. Meanwhile, any thoughts? ...

I know the feeling. However, you note "the machine’s breath rate and pressure escalate without cause". In fact, the reason you are on the machine is why it escalates. This is pure supposition on my part. You will want to talk with a sleep specialist about this.

However, you appear to be going through the same thing that happened to me. I was so tired initially that I did not notice these changes in pressure. I was able to sleep through them without any problem. But then after a while, I found I was fighting the machine. I was not quite as tired and I was more aware of what it was doing.

But I've now gotten to the point (after 11 months of use) that I no longer notice the wild swings in pressure - unless it causes my mask to try to become a musical instrument!

You are correct that when the machine ramps up the pressure it sensed that you will not reach your target for air intake. So, it pushes more into you to break that undershoot / overshoot cycle that is starting. It normally does just that for me. I have an AHI of 1 or less most nights.

I wish I knew a simple way to get in synch with the machine. Unfortunately, it will just take time and patience on your part. But if you need to, take off the mask, get up and walk around for a bit and then go back through the bedtime routine. I find that is easier than when I get frustrated.

Hope that helps.

Baby's Daddy wrote:Please excuse one more dumb question from a "newbie" but I'm not sure I totally understood everything stated above.
If the LCD indicates 8 Hours sleep and the AHI indicates 6.0, does that mean AHI of 0.75 or 6.0 per hour?
Thank you again for all the valuable information from very nice people.

As another poster already noted, and AHI of 6.0 by definition indicates you had 6.0 events per hour (on average). The total number of events would be 6 * 8 (or 48).

Hi John,

I just tried to re-register, and again it was rejected because [my] email address is already associated with another username. Did you have any luck contacting an administrator? Although I would prefer not to, should I just go ahead and secure a new email address?

Thanks,

Paul

Err.... Can you say "Oops!" ? I thought you could. Cause I sure did. I will try to send a note to the forum admin. My apologies that I forgot!

Paul, to what would you like to change the username?

Hi John,

"BefuddledByPAP" will do.

Thanks,

Paul