Blocking exhaust with hand

When my 76 year old husband is sleeping he presses the bottom part of his hand over his exhaust vent and keeps it blocked off. I sleep in the next room and I check on him a couple of times a night and regularly find him doing this. He knows about it and doesn’t do it deliberately but does it in his sleep. He has a fib and I’m sure all the co2 must cause some kind of damage. Is there any kind of mask that could prevent this or any suggestions as to how to stop this?

Hi, you didn’t mention what type of mask he is using(full face versus nasal).
I would suggest that a Resmed F30 mask would make this behavior nearly impossible.
Perhaps more importantly is understanding why he (seemingly) unknowingly is blocking the exhaust. Could it be to block cool air?

I use a Dreamwear nasal mask. It has TWO vents. One in the front, just under the nose, and one on top of the head. I think if the front one was blocked, the vent on the top of the head would still provide adequate evacuation of the C02, but it's something to double check with the respiratory therapist. There is a full face version if he needs that instead of a nasal only mask.

dataq1 wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 13, 2023 5:24 am

Hi, you didn’t mention what type of mask he is using(full face versus nasal).
I would suggest that a Resmed F30 mask would make this behavior nearly impossible.
Perhaps more importantly is understanding why he (seemingly) unknowingly is blocking the exhaust. Could it be to block cool air?

Hi - he wears a full face Simplus mask. I’ll have a look at the Resmed F30 mask - thank you.

If he likes the way the Simplus fits, he may also like the Resmed F20. On the F20, the air exits through the elbow. The exit holes are covered by a baffle that makes it very hard to feel the exiting air. The Resmed F30 expels the air the same as the F20. The F30i has holes in the front of the mask as well as holes in the area where the hose connects to it on top of the head.

Him resting his hand against the exhaust would simply not seal the vented gasses enough to cause a problem.

Should the vent be sufficiently blocked, then not only air (and CO2) be severely exhaust limited, but air would not be able enter the system anymore. You simply can't keep pushing air into a closed system. It would become very dense and you couldn't breath out. The discomfort would wake you.

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 14, 2023 8:27 am

Should the vent be sufficiently blocked, then not only air (and CO2) be severely exhaust limited, but air would not be able enter the system anymore.

Using an Airsense 11, if the vents were completely blocked, the machine maintains the current pressure (yes the machine is not adding any "new" air, but the pressure at the mask /patient does not increase to the point of not being able to breath out.

If the user is normally able to breath (inhale & exhale) at pressure ranges up to 20 cm, blocking the vents would not cause the air to become any more "dense", and not be anymore uncomfortable.

The net effect of blocking the vents is that the patient is not getting "fresh" air but tending towards rebreathing.