Sleep Doc Visit - How are centrals detected?

Big Daddy RRT,RPSGT wrote:You monitor the heart and pulse rate so you can differentiate between cardiac ocillations and respiratory effort in the sleep lab.

We ignore normal central apneas that occur while awake and also ignore brief post arousal central apneas that do not cause desats or additional arousals, an auto pap unit will count these as central apnea events in your reports.

Pain/sedating meds can cause central apneas, maybe this is the problem?

Big Daddy RRT,RPSGT,

Thanks for your response. What you say all makes sense. I've recently started taking klonazepam, but the number of central apneas during my sleep as measured by the S9 has not changed significantly, so meds are probably not a factor. My AHI has decreased, but my pain levels have generally not. I've also started having more bronchitis 'crackly lungs', which I think is due to the lower pressure (9cm). At the higher pressure, I had a .2 average higher ahi, but the bronchitis was pretty much nil. Now I cough all day. I've decided to go back to the higher pressure (10.4cm) to see if that will reduce the bronchitis.

I'm not sure what qualifies as a post arousal central. Does that mean when I turn over, take a deep breath and wake up slightly and then have a central, it's not counted? I turn over all night. I know I rarely get stage three sleep.

Regardless, I'm really wanting a reader -- something I can use to read the data and see what they graded and why it was graded the way it was. As it is, I've got a disk of data I can't read, and it frosts me that nobody will let me read it myself.

If you paid close attention you might notice how often our breathing pauses while awake,normally. Often when we stretch for example we hold our breath. So some people have pauses in breathing briefly after their sleep is disturbed. Others have central apneas (pauses) that cause arousals and desats. In the sleep lab we can tell the difference.

Crackling in your lungs doesn't sound good. Bronchitis? Maybe fluid secondary to a heart problem? Congestive heart failure for example? More pressure might help if it is needed but could cause more stress on the heart if it is not ,be cautious, if you have a cardiac history. You mentioned earlier that your heart pounds and you felt it moving your chest?

Big Daddy RRT,RPSGT wrote:If you paid close attention you might notice how often our breathing pauses while awake,normally. Often when we stretch for example we hold our breath. So some people have pauses in breathing briefly after their sleep is disturbed. Others have central apneas (pauses) that cause arousals and desats. In the sleep lab we can tell the difference.

Crackling in your lungs doesn't sound good. Bronchitis? Maybe fluid secondary to a heart problem? Congestive heart failure for example? More pressure might help if it is needed but could cause more stress on the heart if it is not ,be cautious, if you have a cardiac history. You mentioned earlier that your heart pounds and you felt it moving your chest?

Cardiac history is always good. I have a slightly enlarged left ventricle (I think left) from - wait for it - years of untreated sleep apnea.