New CPAP user worried about high CAI readings

I am a new user of a CPAP machine after finally asking my doctor about my cronic fatigue over the last 2 years. After doing a sleep study test I was told that I had moderate apnea and he recomended I give a CPAP a shot. I was given a ResMed S9 autoset with a humidifier and a quatro fx mask. After not being able to fall asleep for the first 2 days I got used to the mask and actually started to sleep through the night. Initially my AHI was consistently above 14 with my AI >8 and a CAI >8. I have used the machine for 2 weeks now and my AHI is down to less than 2 but my AI and CAI still have stayed above 8. From what I have seen those numbers could be a problem. I have a green smiley face for my mask and my leak rate is 2.2L. Can someone help me understand how these readings (AI and CAI) are different and why the AI and CAI did not improve when my AHI came down so much? Should I wait a few more weeks to bring this up to my doctor? Any information would be appreciate.

dstarke wrote: I have used the machine for 2 weeks now and my AHI is down to less than 2 but my AI and CAI still have stayed above 8.

Where are you getting these numbers? Which software and what part of the software?

AHI can't be less than Central index. The math doesn't work.

AI...equals the obstructive apnea index added to central apnea index

add in the Hypnea hourly index

and you get the AHI hourly averages.

Thank you so much for your quick response. I was just pulling the data off if the LCD information screen that was on the unit (by pressing the two buttons). Maybe I miss read the information and I will check again when I get home. I have seen people using software to graphically represent the data and I would be intersted in getting that as well so I could provide more accruate information. Is that software availiable for download? Thanks again.

I bet you missed a decimal point if you were getting the numbers off the LCD screen.

Yes, there is software available.
Check out my Collection of threads and you will see what is available and how to get it and what to do with it.
viewtopic/t89008/Pugsys-Pointers-Collection.html

SleepyHead will work with your S9 and you can also use ResScan if you want...all explained in the threads.

If your AHI was indeed 2 as in 2.0 then your Central index couldn't have been 8.0 so maybe it was 0.8...and you missed the decimal point. If that is the case...the 0.8 central index is a non issue. Not enough to worry about. Now if it really is 8.0 then we need to talk but the AHI can't be less than the Central index.

Pugsy, I double checked my number and I was incorrect about my AHI. It is still showing I am having greater than 10 AHI. I have posted some data below.


ResMed
S9 AutoSet
Mode: APAP 4-15cmH2O
Date Sleep Wake Hours
5/5/13 12:25 04:50 08:11:02
AHIApnea / Hypopnea Index 10.26
HypopneaHypopnea 1.22
ApneaUnspecified Apnea 0.00
ObstructiveObstructive Apnea 1.10
Clear AirwayClear Airway Apnea 7.94

Do you have copies of your diagnostic and titration sleep studies? If not you should request them...good thing to have.
If you have them already was there any mention of centrals in either?
Also are you finding that you are having a lot of awake time on the machine? Trouble going to sleep? Wake up often for some reason? Problems fiddling with the mask or something?

Can you please register here at the forum..it's free and painless so that you can post an image of a typical nightly detailed report from your software?

This thread explains how
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=81072&p=737779#p737779

When you register please go ahead and input your equipment information like I have mine here below my text.
Here's how if you don't know how.
wiki/index.php/Registering_Equipment_in_User_Profile

8 centrals an hour that we can't explain away with awake irregular breathing or Sleep/Wake/Junk..you need to talk to your doctor about them.

Sometimes people spend a lot of awake time with mask and machine on and get a lot of awake breathing centrals get flagged. This is because our awake breathing is irregular when compared to asleep breathing. The machine doesn't know if you are awake or not...it just calls them like it sees them.

Sometimes newbies just simply have trouble sleeping with all this new stuff and get a lot of awake breathing artifacts.
But since we don't know for sure....we proceed with caution and try to figure out if they are a worry or not when you have as many as you are having.

Some people have centrals emerge after cpap therapy is began. Normally it is seen during the titration study but not always...like if the titration study wasn't the greatest and sleep was poor.
But it isn't unheard of to have them surprise us at home. So we don't panic...8 per hour doesn't qualify for panic mode.

Let's look at your reports and you tell me what you think about your sleep quality and then we go from there.
Do you have a follow up appointment made yet? If so, when?