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My suggestion to the original poster is to contact the Hospital Ombusdman and file a complaint. While my first thought was that the PT people are inadequately trained, keep in mind that they set the machines based on doctor's orders. So these are the orders that they have to follow. If the lower number is too low, then leave a note for the head nurse to request that the doctor put in orders to change the settings based on your father's previous prescription. OR, do what I did and just changed my brother's settings to his usual ones without comment to the staff.

While I could understand a concern about bedbugs, if the patient has no evidence of bedbug bites, why would someone conclude that the machine might have bedbugs? So, nonsense. I would never use the hospital machine if my machine is available. I keep my backup machine packed up and marked for family members so that if I ended up in the hospital, they could just grab that bag and it has everything in it including extra mask, cushions, ereader cord and plugin. FWIW, the 3 major hospital systems in my state (MN) all ask that patients bring their units from home.

I think that hospital deserves a written complaint against the entire department.

CPAP settings are PRESCRIBED by a physician, just like the liters per minute of oxygen. So setting it wide open, they are in essence prescribing without a license (not the same as a patient making his own settings). They have no business doing so.

Always ask the admitting doctor to write orders as follows: "Patient may use his own CPAP and mask for sleep, settings at ____________ / or at patient's request. Provide distilled water for humidifier as needed."

There a lot of other fun things to get upset about with my Father's stay in the hospital with out even talking about CPAP issues...

I can say that we went home and got his CPAP - I insisted he have his own. So at no time did he not actually have his system with his settings on it. I just found the casual attitude and remarks from the RT staff every time they would show up with a "Hospital CPAP" system to get on my nerves. They would go through this spiel. Like we were sitting in front of a lawyer and had to "Say a given thing to make it official" so each night they would appear with this brick and do the little dance. With some of them you could literally see the disappointment on their faces when they couldn't convince us to use the hospital machine and sometimes this sense of disapproval of using ours like it was inferior or there was something wrong with it.

I commented on the lack of humidifier to one RT and she said it didn't make any difference.

Scratching my head here. Not saying everyone has to have a heated humidifier... I know there plenty of people that do just fine with out one. However.... How can you sit there and look me strait in the face and tell me there's no difference between a CPAP with a humidifier and one without. That's like saying there isn't any difference between a Car with an AC unit and one with out. Sure they'll both get you across the country just fine. But if you drive them in July vs. Dec I can assure you there's going to be a noticeable difference between the two.

I talked to other RTs about how His machine was set up for him, Then I hear the "well the hospital one is automatic so it'll adjust to his settings on it's own". This was repeated by multiple RT's... I'll admit I was baiting them a-bit with leading questions because I was both fascinated and highly annoyed by the results I kept hearing. My Mom who's been with him every single day started to ask me why I kept talking to them about it. "What does it matter your dad's got his machine, we're good". Any time we got a new RT - I'd bring up the issues all over again. I can honestly say I didn't once run across a single RT who I felt would be able to come close to my understanding about sleep apnea or XPAP's, I know I'm not the end all and be all, there lots of people on this forum who know more then me, that's why I'd always come back here with questions if I had them. With the RT's though, maybe with other things like oxygen uptake or other more serious respiratory issues they could run circles around me, but as I haven't ever studied those issues nor do they pertain to me, how would I know?

It bothers me when I hear things said that sound like incompetence about a subject I feel well versed in. It fills me with worry and stress about the quality of care or knowledge in other aspects of my Dad's stay that are out side my understanding or fields of interest.

What do people do, who don't know diddly about their own treatment? I guess they just nod their heads like obedient patients and get what they get. I think this can explain the high failure rates we see on average in the "Wild" for people starting CPAP therapy. I think a lot of people don't take the time to educate them selves...Or they have this stigma that health care professionals are some how with out flaw and what ever they say must be right. So if there's a problem it cant' be because they were mis-informed it has to be their fault. They get treated like cogs on a big assembly line when everyone more or less is unique, or at least should be looked at with an open mind. When they have problems they just get frustrated and give up.

I'll mention to my parents about asking about an itemized bill from the hospital. He's been there for weeks so I'm sure it would make for some interesting reading. If they billed you hundreds of dollars for bringing in your own eye drops I can't wait to see what sort of shenanigans might be found on my parents bill. That just blows my mind. 400 dollars for use of your own eye drops. WOW.... Just Wow!

Sorry about all the ramblings.

Hope everyone's doing well. If all goes well my Dad will get to come home later today or tomorrow.

Crossing fingers and toes.

Rest well,

Gryphon

Janknitz wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:39 pm

I think that hospital deserves a written complaint against the entire department.

CPAP settings are PRESCRIBED by a physician, just like the liters per minute of oxygen. So setting it wide open, they are in essence prescribing without a license (not the same as a patient making his own settings). They have no business doing so.

Always ask the admitting doctor to write orders as follows: "Patient may use his own CPAP and mask for sleep, settings at ____________ / or at patient's request. Provide distilled water for humidifier as needed."

Love the extra line - of patient's request. As long as they know that means any and all settings. If I ever have to argue with on of those RT drones about my own setup and equipment I think I'd go off and do some fussing.



I'll make sure I keep that line and make sure it get's followed if there any further issues with me or my family going into the hospital.

This situation has just been so stressful and unique because he's been in there for almost a month now with one thing after another coming up. The Sleep apnea issue was just something for me to focus on to help with the stress. I could watch him nod off and see his Oxygen drop - I'd put his mask back on him and see the numbers go back up. Knowing when I wasn't there he was probably falling asleep all the time and having little incidents would bother me but my Mom would be there most of the time and would make sure he wasn't sleeping with out his machine.

It'll be good to have him back at home.

Take care!

Gryphon

Gryphon--the hospital tried to charge me for THEIR eye drops, which were neither opened nor used.
When I protested, they insisted that the vial had been scanned in the room.
I replied, "--then find out whose room that was, because it was not mine. Charge them."
I came in and filed a formal complaint, which prompted an audit of the pharmacy,
which found the drops had NEVER BEEN OPENED.
The hospital reversed the charges.

I read statistics that show that on audit, 100% (not 99 or even 98%) of hospital bills are WRONG!!!

It's always worth disputing a charge if you don't think it's correct.

I remember many years ago a client of mine, I set up his computer and tried to teach him how to use it, had his wife in the hospital for several weeks. The hospital his insurance required (Kaiser) sent her home to die. he took her to a better hospital where he was responsible for the entire bill. When he got the bill he asked me to help him setup a spread sheet to analyze the bill and identify any errors or overcharges. Much time was spent on that project, but I think he shaved thousands $$$$ off that bill.
I saw him and his wife at least 15 years later at a casino buffet, so I guess Kaiser's prognosis may have been a little off.

Gryphon wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:29 pm

... lack of humidifier to one RT and she said it didn't make any difference...hear the "well the hospital one is automatic so it'll adjust to his settings on it's own". This was repeated by multiple RT's...It bothers me when I hear things said that sound like incompetence about a subject I feel well versed in. It fills me with worry and stress about the quality of care or knowledge in other aspects...

I'm with you on this. However, that said, sleep apnea is still not yet part of common medical knowledge, certainly not how to care for patients during hospital stays. I believe floor nurse supervisors should know which patients use CPAP therapy and ensure they know to get patients masked and the device turned on, especially in those cases were patients have been sedated. If I were hospitalized, I would ensure the nurse supervisors and my assigned RNs knew how to do that. I would also ensure that my assigned CNAs know I should be masked and my machine running each and every time I am asleep.