Understanding and Reading Encore Pro Data

Good Evening CPAP'ers

I would like to know if there is a post or anything that gives information on how to read and understand the data the I downloaded on Encore? What are the norms etc? It doesn't do me much good to record data if I am clueless as to what any of it means. Thanks for your guidance!


Debbie

Hi Debbie.

This is a thread that is further down this page (at the moment) and rested gal has given someone else (asking somewhat similar questions) some explanations and some links. See if that answers some of your questions. If you still have more, come on back and ask away.

viewtopic/t46535/Please-explain-quotThe ... squot.html


Den

atruvirgo wrote: It doesn't do me much good to record data if I am clueless as to what any of it means. Thanks for your guidance!
Debbie

"If it is to be - it is up to Me"!!!

Wulfman wrote:Hi Debbie.

This is a thread that is further down this page (at the moment) and rested gal has given someone else (asking somewhat similar questions) some explanations and some links. See if that answers some of your questions. If you still have more, come on back and ask away.

viewtopic/t46535/Please-explain-quotThe ... squot.html


Den

Thanks Den, I flipped over to Rested Gals explanation and it did help some. I guess what I need to know is where should those numbers be? How would I know what a "norm" was for me? If my AHI according to the sleep lab was 14 and I am getting 5-7 then that means I am still having probs 50% of the time that I had them before. Leak rate is something else I need to find info on . ANy suggestion where I can look?

Debbie

The Sleep Medicine profession considers an AHI (Apnea-Hypopnea Index) below 5 to be "treated" sleep apnea. Many of us here on the forum feel better with an AHI below 3.

As far as leak rate goes, your mask owner's guide should have a graph/chart. Looking at this graph, you find your pressure (or your 90% pressure if your machine is an auto, set at a range of pressures). Check at what rate your pressure is. That is the amount of pressure for which the machine can compensate. You want your leak rate to be in or around that number. For example, I use a Remstar Auto machine and a SwiftLT mask. I have my pressure range set at 10.5cm minimum and 13cm maximum. My 90% pressure is 12cm. When I check the graph/chart in my SwiftLT owners guide, the number is 33. I want my leak rate to be around 33 - a little above or a little below is fine.

If a person is using a Resmed machine, the machine will tell you the leak rate. You want it as close to 0 as possible on a Resmed machine. For me, with my Remstar machine, 33 would be a 0 leak rate.

You can see that the leak rate depends upon YOUR pressure and the mask you use.

Hope this helps!

Hawthorne wrote:The Sleep Medicine profession considers an AHI (Apnea-Hypopnea Index) below 5 to be "treated" sleep apnea. Many of us here on the forum feel better with an AHI below 3.

As far as leak rate goes, your mask owner's guide should have a graph/chart. Looking at this graph, you find your pressure (or your 90% pressure if your machine is an auto, set at a range of pressures). Check at what rate your pressure is. That is the amount of pressure for which the machine can compensate. You want your leak rate to be in or around that number. For example, I use a Remstar Auto machine and a SwiftLT mask. I have my pressure range set at 10.5cm minimum and 13cm maximum. My 90% pressure is 12cm. When I check the graph/chart in my SwiftLT owners guide, the number is 33. I want my leak rate to be around 33 - a little above or a little below is fine.

If a person is using a Resmed machine, the machine will tell you the leak rate. You want it as close to 0 as possible on a Resmed machine. For me, with my Remstar machine, 33 would be a 0 leak rate.

You can see that the leak rate depends upon YOUR pressure and the mask you use.

Hope this helps!

Thanks Den

I will look at that info for my mask and see how it compares to the report I got on Encore. I have a terrible cold right now, sneezing like crazy and coughing so 2 nights w/o cpap. I am hoping I can use it tonight. I did 14 days straight before the cold and I was noticing an improvement. I have ordered the PAP Cap Plus and may see if the chin straps helps with some of the leaks.


Thanks as always for your response and help that you offer to all of us here at cpaptalk!

If you can post data, you will get feedback on it. Its pretty easy to do if you can print reports to Acrobat, those can be saved-as graphic jpg files, or you can capture screen shots.

No line of data stands alone. The idea is to look at obstructive and hyponea events as they relate to pressure, leaks, and snoring and looking for patterns and correlation. Your AHI is relatively high for a person with a moderate uncontrolled OSA. What pressure settings do you use? Are you using Auto settings or straight CPAP? I think data tells us more when pressure is allowed to vary within a small range of + or - 2 or 3 CM to the prescribed pressure. You may start to see better control at higher or lower pressure. Other variables are exhalation relief setting and even humidification. Getting better control over AHI means taking the many variables, changing one thing at a time, and taking enough time to see if there is a positive or negative response to that change. Over the course of several months, you should eventually zero in on the right recipe for your needs.

Sleeprider wrote

Getting better control over AHI means taking the many variables, changing one thing at a time, and taking enough time to see if there is a positive or negative response to that change. Over the course of several months, you should eventually zero in on the right recipe for your needs.

I followed this approach and it worked for me. Over a 2-month period (April & May '09), I progressed from an AHI of > 8 (and feeling like a Zombie the next day) to an AHI < 1 and feeling full of energy the next day. Be sure to keep a daily dairy of all your changes and outcomes so you know what is helping and what is not. Write down both the numbers (quantitative) and the feelings (subjective) for each night and your assessment (+ or -) on the change(s).

Hawthorne wrote:The Sleep Medicine profession considers an AHI (Apnea-Hypopnea Index) below 5 to be "treated" sleep apnea. Many of us here on the forum feel better with an AHI below 3.

As far as leak rate goes, your mask owner's guide should have a graph/chart. Looking at this graph, you find your pressure (or your 90% pressure if your machine is an auto, set at a range of pressures). Check at what rate your pressure is. That is the amount of pressure for which the machine can compensate. You want your leak rate to be in or around that number. For example, I use a Remstar Auto machine and a SwiftLT mask. I have my pressure range set at 10.5cm minimum and 13cm maximum. My 90% pressure is 12cm. When I check the graph/chart in my SwiftLT owners guide, the number is 33. I want my leak rate to be around 33 - a little above or a little below is fine.

If a person is using a Resmed machine, the machine will tell you the leak rate. You want it as close to 0 as possible on a Resmed machine. For me, with my Remstar machine, 33 would be a 0 leak rate.

You can see that the leak rate depends upon YOUR pressure and the mask you use.

Hope this helps!

Hawthorne

Thanks for the great advice. I have had my mask for quite a while and no longer have the product insert that would have the leak rate on it. I looked on line and was unable to find the info. Apparently the manufacturer SomnoTech' swebiste has not been working. I will post and see if anyone has the info for that mask. Thanks

Debbie

Sleeprider wrote:If you can post data, you will get feedback on it. Its pretty easy to do if you can print reports to Acrobat, those can be saved-as graphic jpg files, or you can capture screen shots.

No line of data stands alone. The idea is to look at obstructive and hyponea events as they relate to pressure, leaks, and snoring and looking for patterns and correlation. Your AHI is relatively high for a person with a moderate uncontrolled OSA. What pressure settings do you use? Are you using Auto settings or straight CPAP? I think data tells us more when pressure is allowed to vary within a small range of + or - 2 or 3 CM to the prescribed pressure. You may start to see better control at higher or lower pressure. Other variables are exhalation relief setting and even humidification. Getting better control over AHI means taking the many variables, changing one thing at a time, and taking enough time to see if there is a positive or negative response to that change. Over the course of several months, you should eventually zero in on the right recipe for your needs.

Sleeprider:

I want to post my data here from 2 different nights. Both seemed like typical nights but, as you will see AHI is higher on the 7th. I have no idea why. I am still trying to find product info for my Soyala Nasal Mask online but the manufacturer web site has not been running. I would appreciate any feed back that you or any other member cares to give on the data I would like to submit. I have it saved in a tiff file but I don;t know how to attach it here. Help!!!??

SInce I cannot figure out how to post my report on here I thought I would share the data:

1) Using Soyala Nasal Mask Sz Small with Pad a cheeks (acceptable leak rate is 20-22)
2) Setting is Straight Pressure 9 (doc said 7 but I bumped it up on advice from forum) (C-Flex Machine but C-flex is off)
3) Humidifier set to 2. No rainout yet since California is still having some warm weather
4) My AHI at sleep study was 12

My encore report states: Avg past month
AHI 6-8
Leak 32-36

Not much better than the AHI of 12 I get from no treatment. The only up side is I don;t snore when I am on the machine. Any ideas why my AHI is still so high???
Changes?

Debbie

You show a "Remstar C-Flex Pro2" as your machine but the M Series integrated heated humidifier.

That machine was discontinued quite some time ago. Is it by any chance, a "Remstar M Series Pro with C-Flex" that you have?

It would be helpful if we knew which machine you have. If it's a M Series it is smaller than the machine you show in the picture of your machine (by the way choosing to show the equipment in "text" rather than pictures makes it easier for people to see what you have- they don't have to click on the picture to find out) and it will say "Remstar M Series Pro with C-Flex" right on the top of the machine (below a little flip up door).

Let us know for sure what you have and try to change it to text. You'll get more responses since people often don't take the time to click on the picture to see what you have.

Hawthorne wrote:You show a "Remstar C-Flex Pro2" as your machine but the M Series integrated heated humidifier.

That machine was discontinued quite some time ago. Is it by any chance, a "Remstar M Series Pro with C-Flex" that you have?

It would be helpful if we knew which machine you have. If it's a M Series it is smaller than the machine you show in the picture of your machine (by the way choosing to show the equipment in "text" rather than pictures makes it easier for people to see what you have- they don't have to click on the picture to find out) and it will say "Remstar M Series Pro with C-Flex" right on the top of the machine (below a little flip up door).

Let us know for sure what you have and try to change it to text. You'll get more responses since people often don't take the time to click on the picture to see what you have.

Thank you for the suggestions. I have updated to text format and made the corrections to my equipment. Yes it was Remstar M Series Pro w/C Flex.

You said an M Series Pro in your message but listed an M Series Plus in your equipment area.

These are 2 quite different machines. The Pro will give detailed data. The Plus will only tell you how often and how long you used th machine.

You need to be sure which machine you have show that in "text" as your equipment. You did say you can see the AHI so I am assuming it is the M Series Pro.

Hawthorne wrote:You said an M Series Pro in your message but listed an M Series Plus in your equipment area.

These are 2 quite different machines. The Pro will give detailed data. The Plus will only tell you how often and how long you used th machine.

You need to be sure which machine you have show that in "text" as your equipment. You did say you can see the AHI so I am assuming it is the M Series Pro.

Yikes...I am so sorry I clicked on the wrong machine. Yes I have the Pro and I get my data from the Encore Smart card.