interpreting rescan results

I would appreciate some help in understanding what my Rescan software is revealing about the effectiveness of my therapy.
I have used CPAP for about 5 years but purchased a new "smart" CPAP (Resmed Elite II) about six months ago and have been using the Rescan for most of that time.
My AI/AHI scores over an average of 7 hours per night average about 7 AHI. Sometimes, but rarely under 5 and never over 10.
Mostly they are in the 5-8 range.
The AI, that I have read is the only thing that really counts averages about 2 or 2.5, never much over 3 and sometimes just over 1.

Given that my first sleep study, before I was diagnosed revealed an AHI of 34, with a maxiumum duration of 137 seconds of Apnea (yes, more than two minutes without a breath) and a lowest SPO2 of 67% I know that I am much improved with CPAP but don't know if I should "settle" for this level of treatment or should try to attain lower numbers.
I feel fine, and my sleep is much improved according to my wife. I never had daytime symptoms which is why I was undiagnosed for over 20 years.

I also have NO idea what the "leak" statistics mean or how to interpret them.

redwing2 wrote:... I would appreciate some help in understanding what my Rescan software is revealing about the effectiveness of my therapy. ...

Sure, I'll take a stab at it.

redwing2 wrote:... I have used CPAP for about 5 years but purchased a new "smart" CPAP (Resmed Elite II) about six months ago and have been using the Rescan for most of that time. ...

Ah, you are becomeing another old timer around here. I've seen you post (at least I assume it's the same person) here before. Are you registered? You should. That way you can list your equipment, which helps us understand how to tailor answers to your setup.

redwing2 wrote:... My AI/AHI scores over an average of 7 hours per night average about 7 AHI. Sometimes, but rarely under 5 and never over 10. ... Mostly they are in the 5-8 range. ... The AI, that I have read is the only thing that really counts averages about 2 or 2.5, never much over 3 and sometimes just over 1. ...

Yup. That's a pretty good number. It could be a bit better, but ResMed units are pretty aggressive at counting hypopneas. So, subtract about 1/2 of the HI index and you might be in the range of what most other units would count. Not bad at all.

redwing2 wrote:... Given that my first sleep study, before I was diagnosed revealed an AHI of 34, with a maxiumum duration of 137 seconds of Apnea (yes, more than two minutes without a breath) and a lowest SPO2 of 67% I know that I am much improved with CPAP but don't know if I should "settle" for this level of treatment or should try to attain lower numbers. ...

Well, if you have a high leak rate, your therapy might improve a little more. But the numbers are pretty low, so I doubt it's a big issue.

redwing2 wrote:... I feel fine, and my sleep is much improved according to my wife. I never had daytime symptoms which is why I was undiagnosed for over 20 years. ...

That you feel fine and your body no longer suffers from the O2 deprivation is the important thing, as you know. Good for you for sticking with it even if you did not feel it. In the long run that will make life better for you and your family.

redwing2 wrote:... I also have NO idea what the "leak" statistics mean or how to interpret them. ...

It measures the leak rate in liters per minute. If you entered the type of mask (full face, nasal, nasal pillows, etc), then ResScan should show the acceptable leak rate with a red line across the leak rate chart. So, if it shows a value of 23 and your leak rate stays below that, then you are fine. At least that's how I've interpreted the information my unit presents.

Hope that helps. And congratulations on your hard work! It's doubly impressive considering you never felt the need for it.

redwing2 wrote:I would appreciate some help in understanding what my Rescan software is revealing about the effectiveness of my therapy.
I have used CPAP for about 5 years but purchased a new "smart" CPAP (Resmed Elite II) about six months ago and have been using the Rescan for most of that time.
My AI/AHI scores over an average of 7 hours per night average about 7 AHI. Sometimes, but rarely under 5 and never over 10.
Mostly they are in the 5-8 range.
The AI, that I have read is the only thing that really counts averages about 2 or 2.5, never much over 3 and sometimes just over 1.

Given that my first sleep study, before I was diagnosed revealed an AHI of 34, with a maxiumum duration of 137 seconds of Apnea (yes, more than two minutes without a breath) and a lowest SPO2 of 67% I know that I am much improved with CPAP but don't know if I should "settle" for this level of treatment or should try to attain lower numbers.
I feel fine, and my sleep is much improved according to my wife. I never had daytime symptoms which is why I was undiagnosed for over 20 years.

I also have NO idea what the "leak" statistics mean or how to interpret them.

You shoot to get leak at 0.0 with a ResMed, if the right mask selection has been made in the machine. You may not always get that, depending, but that's what you shoot for. You can't trust the AHI numbers if your leak is way high much of the night or extremely erratic. What does your leak line look like? A flat desert plain, or the Andes?

You shoot to get AI below 1.0 on a ResMed if you can. Again, you don't always get that, but that's what you shoot for. With some people, harmless centrals will make getting below 1.0 impossible, and that's OK, but it can still be worth it to tweak pressure up or down a bit and see what that does to AI for a few weeks, either way.

You could always post your sleep studies (removing identifying info, as far as your identity and the lab's) and some of your ResScan charts if you want specific input on them.

Some might choose to use a recording oximeter overnight just to make sure they aren't desaturating anymore.

Thanks to John and JNK both (BTW, JNK, I used to live in the Heights and a a view of that bridge..albeit the east tower only and I had to stand on the bath tub and crane my head out the tiny window to see it).
I first registered here over a year ago and have not been back too often since.
I would like to post my data but cannot find my control panel so any help navigating the site would now be appreciated too.
Once I do that I will post my results and maybe someone can help me determine if I should be pleased with them or be messing around with my pressures more.
My history was wierd. My wife started in on me 25 years ago, when I was skinny (not so much anymore) that I stopped breathing in my sleep every night..and what I did to the bed sheets made it look like a tornado had hit the bedroom. I attributed that violence to a habit I thought that I developed as a child living in a body cast for 9 months...I learned to turn over in bed as a tutle turns over when placed on its back.
And I attributed my frequent trips to the bathroom to normal male BPH, which I also had (much better now with medications). In fact I was waking not to go to the bathroom but from the apnea and then deciding that I had to go...why else, I thought would I be awake?
But I never, ever, feel asleep during the day and was never tired either. My wife would fall out every night watching TV and when I woke her to go to bed I would jokingly ask "who has sleep apnea?" But it was me!
My first sleep study was atrocious with a 34 AHI and over 130 second apnea with 67% SPO2.
CPAP changed everything. I was complaint on day one and have literally not missed a night since, in over 5 years, except for one power failure (I now have an Everest Machine as my back up and for traveling). I am a pilot too, and the FAA made me take a "maintainence of wakefulness" test that I passed with no problems, but I have a "special issuance" medical, which means that I have to see the sleep doc yearly just for a letter. But I was never getting any feedback on my old Resmed machine (5 year old) until I replaced it with the new "smart" machine and got the Rescan software. I think it looks like my numbers are good but cannot be certain. So I appreciate the support of this forum and would be happy to help others if my experience can do that. Now, how to I register my data, get an avatar, etc.?H

redwing wrote:... Now, how to I register my data, get an avatar, etc.? ...

You go to the User Control Panel on the upper left. Here are the directions to register your equipment:

wiki/index.php/Registering_Equipment_in_User_Profile

You should be able to find your way around to figure out how to add an avatar.

Hope that helps.

Thanks again.
I will try that later when I have the machine handy for reference.

redwing wrote: . . . I used to live in the Heights and a a view of that bridge. . .

I've lived in or near the Heights for about 25 years. I have a view of the bridge from my office window--well, if I stand in one corner, anyway. Have you seen D.U.M.B.O. in the last few years? Or the progress on Brooklyn Bridge Park lately? A lot of changes around here!

Sorry, but what is D.U.M.B.O?
I have not been in the Heights in a year or two sorry to say.
I know a bit about the park that is, theoretically under construction but only from an article that I saw in the Times.
I too, had a view of the bridge from an office, once, at 270 Broadway near Chambers but that was long, long ago.
I loved the Heights.
Wonder if I had OSA then.

redwing wrote: . . . Sorry, but what is D.U.M.B.O? . . .

Believe it or not, it is the name used these days for the area between the Heights and Vinegar Hill. It stands for "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass." It is one hip, happening place, if you believe the artists and musicians.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DUMBO,_Brooklyn

Oh.
Thanks.
I hate being out of the loop up here in the sticks.
But I love the scenery.
And I hate traffic.