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Re: Which reported pressure metrics are most important?
Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 8:25 am
by palerider
zoocrewphoto wrote: ↑Sat Aug 25, 2018 4:36 am
When looking at data, I think the pressure GRAPH is the most important.
If it is going up and down a lot, then it should be narrowed a bit so that it doesn't go up much, except some occasional spikes. Even if the ahi is great, lots of ups and down could disturb the sleep. If there are a lot of obstructive events, then an active pressure graphs means the minimum is too low.
And personally, I think the minimum is more important than the max. Get the minimum right, and you won't have as much up and down, and it may not go as high when it does go up.
If the max is topping out, then I would raise the max unless there are other problems.
I really don't care about the 90%/95% number. And I don't like reading the charts of numbers. They don't show the context. I want to see if the events if are in clusters or spread out. And I want to see if the pressure is going up and down a lot. I would then make adjustments to get that pressure line more even.
Well put!
The only thing I'd say differently is instead of " If it is going up and down a lot, then it should be narrowed a bit so that it doesn't go up much," I'd say "If it is going up and down a lot, then the min pressure should be raised a bit so that it doesn't go up and down so much,
Like you say, for the vast majority of people, the max pressure doesn't matter.
Re: Which reported pressure metrics are most important?
Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 8:54 am
by old dude
Thanks much for those observations about keeping a level pressure graph, zoocrewphoto and PR.
Even after doing this for more than 5 years, I had overlooked the importance of trying to keep the pressure line as level as possible. Makes perfect sense, but I hadn't thought of it in those terms.
Re: Which reported pressure metrics are most important?
Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 8:58 am
by palerider
old dude wrote: ↑Sat Aug 25, 2018 8:54 am
Thanks much for those observations about keeping a level pressure graph, zoocrewphoto and PR.
Even after doing this for more than 5 years, I had overlooked the importance of trying to keep the pressure line as level as possible. Makes perfect sense, but I hadn't thought of it in those terms.
If you've got a jagged pressure graph, that means you're having breathing events that the machine is responding to, and those events all cause you to have sleep disturbances.... even if they're not apneas or hypopneas. snoring and flow limitations also disturb your sleep, because they make it harder for you to breathe.
A few bumps are fine, but fewer is generally better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gie2dhqP2c
Re: Which reported pressure metrics are most important?
Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 2:26 am
by zoocrewphoto
palerider wrote: ↑Sat Aug 25, 2018 8:58 am
old dude wrote: ↑Sat Aug 25, 2018 8:54 am
Thanks much for those observations about keeping a level pressure graph, zoocrewphoto and PR.
Even after doing this for more than 5 years, I had overlooked the importance of trying to keep the pressure line as level as possible. Makes perfect sense, but I hadn't thought of it in those terms.
If you've got a jagged pressure graph, that means you're having breathing events that the machine is responding to, and those events all cause you to have sleep disturbances.... even if they're not apneas or hypopneas. snoring and flow limitations also disturb your sleep, because they make it harder for you to breathe.
A few bumps are fine, but fewer is generally better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gie2dhqP2c
Exactly. If the machine is working a lot, then you are still having issues. And this is even worse if the person is sensitive to the pressure changing. I only get bothered when mine gets up to about 15 as it only does that when I am on my back. And then the air starts flapping my cheeks which bothers me. So. I roll back onto my side, and the pressure goes down. It actually helps me to sleep on my side more. Most of the night, my pressure stays between 11 and 13 and does a great job. I usually just have a few short spikes.
I do have to raise my minimum pressure to 13 when I have a bad cough. That allows me to have a series of coughs without gasping and ripping off the mask (same feeling most people get at a pressure of 4).