APAP to CPAP

[mjbearit]

So here's a question for all the experienced folks. I use the APAP I bought and it works great. I have a range set and it just bops along every night adjusting and readjusting as it needs to. My backup machine is a CPAP. If something were to happen to my APAP I would need to use this CPAP until I get the APAP repaired/replaced. If that were to happen, I would like to use the data (out of Sleepyhead) that I have been collecting since I got my APAP, to adjust my CPAP to meet my current needs. My knee-jerk reaction would be to set the CPAP to whatever my 95% is for the past month/week in that area. Not tough to do since my week is at 15.00 and my month is at 14.59 and my CPAP is so old it only has whole numbers, so I would just set it to 15. Does anyone see a flaw in this plan? Maybe I am missing something? I am not asking for anyone to tell me what to set my machine to myself, I know, no one here is a doctor, you should not mess with this stuff yourself, etc, etc. But is my logic sound on this approach as far as everyone knows?

[lonnieb]

mj
that is what i would do, i am no expert and only have about a year experience but i would put it as close to the 95% as i could

[JudgeMental]

Hey mj!! Sounds like a great "plan" to me. Theres not much else you can do when you are dealing with a CPAP but to set it at 95%.

Your did;t mention what your AHI has been running and maybe I'm trying to read between the lines too much, but your profile shows the top of your auto-set at 15.5 and you are getting a reading of 15 at the 95% mark. That isn't much "wiggle room" at the top end. Since we don;t know what going on within that 5% level, if the ramping pressure doesn't bother you, I would increase the top a couple of notches, to maybe a 16.5 or 17. You just might catch a couple of bad apneas.

[PaulaO2]

Just typing out loud here....

Since I am an idiot and have a brick machine, I've not paid much attention to what "95th percentile" means but assume it is what the machine used the most. If that is correct, then, yes, setting the CPAP to 15 would work.

Do you have an oximeter? It would be interesting to do 10 days of oximeter readings with your APAP then use the CPAP at 15 for 10 days then compare.

It probably would be a good idea to fire up the older CPAP every once in a while just to make sure it works.

[zonk]

My knee-jerk reaction would be to set the CPAP to whatever my 95% is for the past month/week in that area. Not tough to do since my week is at 15.00 and my month is at 14.59 and my CPAP is so old it only has whole numbers, so I would just set it to 15. Does anyone see a flaw in this plan?

You have to realize that the 95% percentile pressure was At and BELOW 15 for 95% of the time. Some people forget the BELOW part which as important. You need to look at SH to see what % of time the pressure stayed at 15.

[mjbearit]

Just typing out loud here....

Since I am an idiot and have a brick machine, I've not paid much attention to what "95th percentile" means but assume it is what the machine used the most. If that is correct, then, yes, setting the CPAP to 15 would work.

Do you have an oximeter? It would be interesting to do 10 days of oximeter readings with your APAP then use the CPAP at 15 for 10 days then compare.

It probably would be a good idea to fire up the older CPAP every once in a while just to make sure it works.

SH uses 95% and the Respironics software uses 90%. That is at 95 or 90, depending, percent of the time your pressure is at or below a specific number. In my case it works out close to 15. So good guess! I actually bought an OX but I am waiting for a future version of Sleepyhead to work with it! it is a CM50, but it is a new model and SH would not DL the readings for anything! I have only done a couple of overnights with the OX but at my original pressure of 11 I was dipping down below 90% from time to time and with the APAP I am not getting down below 96% as I recall (I'm too lazy to look it up right now! ).

[mjbearit]

My knee-jerk reaction would be to set the CPAP to whatever my 95% is for the past month/week in that area. Not tough to do since my week is at 15.00 and my month is at 14.59 and my CPAP is so old it only has whole numbers, so I would just set it to 15. Does anyone see a flaw in this plan?

You have to realize that the 95% percentile pressure was At and BELOW 15 for 95% of the time. Some people forget the BELOW part which as important. You need to look at SH to see what % of time the pressure stayed at 15.

Good point. I wasn't taking that into consideration. It looks like on most nights I am spending most of my time somewhere between the 13-14 range. My AHI is great actually! I'm running just over 1. My 30 day is 1.24 and my 7 day is 1.10 and somehow I snuck in a 0.37 last night! I know it's not a trend, but I just had to brag! LOL!
Based on that I would probably opt for something more in the 13 range and I can always bump it if necessary.

[PaulaO2]

There is a way for Sleepyhead to see the oximeter file.
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...SleepyHead

But first you have to do this:
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...2_software

[mjbearit]

There is a way for Sleepyhead to see the oximeter file.
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...SleepyHead

But first you have to do this:
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...2_software

Thanks Paula, I will try that again one of these days. I spent days on this....you have no idea! My frustration was through the roof! I know I did exactly what is in those instructions (and I am somewhat computer savvy) and it just would not recognize the file format. I just used the software that came with it to d/l and read the file. That OX unit I find very uncomfortable and clumsy to use anyway. I have surgery scheduled for the 17th, I wonder if they will run an ox strip and a set of APAP numbers for me? HA! LOL! Not likely. That does bring up an interesting point though, if anyone is reading this who needs to know, your surgeon NEEDS TO KNOW you are on an xPAP! An obstructive event during surgery could turn fatal very quickly! Be SURE your surgeon knows this and the anesthesiologist knows this! DO NOT assume! This surgeon worked on my left hand last year, we discussed the need for CPAP, I discussed it with the anes....oh heck I can't spell it twice, and yet, she goes into my records during our preop meeting (doing the right wrist this year!) and no notice at all! Also just because you have the same doc, don't assume! I had to remind her. She sees hundreds, if not thousands of patients a year! If it "escaped" from your chart, they will not know. Be your own best advocate!....okay....back to our regularly scheduled program!

[mjbearit]

Wow, way to not finish a thought! I find it clumsy to use, so I want to save up and get a different unit. The one that is the wrist strap with the finger cuff. I think it would be less.....irritating to me! The other style kept waking me up because it was so bulky and even with tape I had problems keeping it on my finger!