Interesting results...

During my sleep study I had some O2 desaturations below 90% for a short period of time and told that I had fractured sleep. I was handed a APAP machine and left to have the machine determine what pressure to use.

I ran into difficulty with APAP in that it would go to full pressure and not drop back down. This "run away" behavior led me to try CPAP.

I kept adjusting my pressure until I had no O2 desaturations below 90%. I ended up at a pressure of 10.6.

I just finished a month trying APAP again. During the "run away" events, I would simply shut the machine off and turn it back on again. My machine showed a pressure of 13, which I assume is the 90 or 95% pressure. At the end of the month the machine average AHI was 7.

I went back to CPAP at 10.6, and the machine average AHI dropped to 4.

I don't desaturate below 90% either on APAP or CPAP at 10.6.

I am thinking I should stay with CPAP, but am trying to figure out why the APAP suggests a higher pressure and results in a higher machine AHI.

So, if the goal is to have a lower machine reported AHI, I am showing better than a 43% drop in machine AHI by using CPAP at 10.6.

Now, if someone asked my help in setting up their machine, I would be more inclined to set the pressure based upon O2 desaturation rather than using the machine on APAP and going with that pressure. While this tends to "go across the grain," it worked for me.

I am not sure what to make of this, but simply acknowledge that there may be many paths to the same goal.

Have you ignored your AHI and your RDI in your titration? What is your AHI at your titrated CPAP level?

As I mentioned in my initial post, I was handed an APAP machine and told the machine would figure out what pressure I needed. It was set at 4 - 20.

HoseCrusher wrote:As I mentioned in my initial post, I was handed an APAP machine and told the machine would figure out what pressure I needed. It was set at 4 - 20.

What kind of hose do you have?

I have 2 hoses. The one that came with the machine and it is about 6 feet long, and the one that goes to my FX mask.

Is it the non-crush hose with the wire that wraps around it? I love that one. It has grooves in the middle of it on the inside, perfect for a nap but I can't fit my plasma TV in there. Is it clear enough to see through? I want to know if I can watch TV from inside it.