AI vs. HI

I'm using a ResMed AutoSet II with min at 6 and max at 20. I am in a two-week assessment period for for my RT to evaluate my needs. After a week I see a median pressure of of 9.9, AI of 0.0, and HI of 3.4. No leakage. Is that good??? I'm a newbie, so please have have pity...

Thanks,
Al

I'd say that is excellent. I think the setting at 20 should be lower, but others in here that have more APAP experience will explain that better than I can. Having an AHI of under 5 is the theraputic goal, and you seem to have hit that pretty quickly.

akeegan wrote:I'm using a ResMed AutoSet II with min at 6 and max at 20. I am in a two-week assessment period for for my RT to evaluate my needs. After a week I see a median pressure of of 9.9, AI of 0.0, and HI of 3.4. No leakage. Is that good??? I'm a newbie, so please have have pity...

Thanks,
Al

AL,
That is better than Good. It is quite impressive. Many new Cpapers struggle for months to get those results, (including myself). The AI is Apnea Index, the HI hypopnia index, and the 2 combined is the AHI. An AHI under 5 is considered successfully treated by the medical profession. No leakage is a great way to start. Welcome and Great Start!
Don

Yes those are good reports! How are you feeling???

That's excellent, Al.

Welcome to the board!

Excellent results! Leaks are critical to successful treatment (that's why mask fitting is so important) and yours are under control. You are off to a good start! Be aware that your machine/manufacturer is known for aggressively scoring hypopneas. Episodes of shallow breathing that other machines might ignore (not shallow enough, not long enough) the ResMed machines score as a hypopnea. Personally, I would be more concerned with the apneas, and those seem to be well under control, too. And as others have pointed out, anything under 5 is considered successful treatment. When you speak with your doc, ask about lowering your top pressure. Most here would say that the range is too wide. In my personal experience, I do better with a narrower range, the lower one just at my optimum level, and the top 2 or 3 above that to take care of any severe apneas. That way, the pressure swings are limited.

Once you find your optimum level, you can try running at that pressure in cpap mode and see if your numbers improve any. Some find that the apap's moving up and down in pressure disturbs their sleep, others don't notice. In any case, any changes you or your doc make should be given at least a week to assess effectiveness. Anyone can have a bad night, and a large variety of things affect our sleep patterns.

Welcome!

akeegan wrote:I'm using a ResMed AutoSet II with min at 6 and max at 20. I am in a two-week assessment period for for my RT to evaluate my needs. After a week I see a median pressure of of 9.9, AI of 0.0, and HI of 3.4. No leakage. Is that good??? I'm a newbie, so please have have pity...

Thanks,
Al

I would agree the 6 to 20 is too wide of a setting. Mine started out at 10 & 15 but I was bumping up against the 15 too much so the sleep doc bumped it up to 12 & 17. You didn't say if you are using the EPR or not. I was using the three setting but changed it to two hoping to maybe improve on my HI's a bit, I think it has helped both my AI and HI's. I am consistently at less than 1 with the AI's and bouncing around from a low of 3.8 to about 7 on the HI's.

I have been using my xpap since late December, you have really, really good numbers, especially for the first two weeks of use. At the pressure I am running I am finding it next to impossible to get zero leaks so your no leaks is excellent.

The maximum pressure number of "20" in the range you're using, Al, is ok (in my opinion) since you've got leaks well under control and your autopap is probably never having to use anything even close to 20 for you. Unused pressure up above is just that... unused. Doesn't matter what the max is set at if the upper pressures never even get used.

What's important (again, in my opinion) is what the minimum pressure is set at. Setting the minimum high enough to prevent most apneas right from the get-go probably gives more effective treatment when using an autopap.

What I personally think of as "narrowing the range", or "settings too wide", is not pulling BOTH pressures (max and min) together closer.

When I think of narrowing the range, I think of leaving the upper pressure setting alone (if leaks are under control)...leaving a generous ceiling of UNused pressure up there at the top. I think primarily about raising the minimum pressure to where most apneas are prevented in the first place.

There can be good reasons for lowering the upper pressure...sure. Things like uncontrolled leaks or aerophagia problems, for example.

From what you described, Al, I don't see any reason to lower the max pressure in the range from 20. Looks like your present range is doing a fine job for you.

FarmerJill wrote:Can I ask how all of you find out this info that you are talking about? Thanks!

Your profile shows you are using the S8 AutoSet II, so you have access to this information on your LCD screen. You can also get the ResScan 3.7 software and a card reader to access the information on your Smart Card (data card). Check your Private Messages.