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Machine: Lowenstein Luisa Mask Type: Full face mask Mask Make & Model: Resmed Quattro FX Humidifier: separate F&P humidifier CPAP Pressure: Epap 4-20 PS 4-20; "auto" rate CPAP Software: Not using software
Other Comments: Using 45 degree angle upper body wedge (36"x36") and 4.5"soft cervical collar; 500 assured tidal vol
12-31-2023, 07:05 PM (This post was last modified: 12-31-2023, 07:06 PM by Jay51.)
RE: Brand new to this
I apologize for the vague instructions. On the 3 minute charts: have them just like your regular OSCAR charts, but only 3 minute in total length instead of for 8 hours. Slow the left side bar, and all of the categories beneath the OSCAR graph, but only have them 3 minutes long (and have the large spikes up in respiratory rate in the middle of the 3 minute charts (starting about the mid-way point of the 3 minute chart).
Just click and hold and drag the cursor on the entire OSCAR chart for 3 minutes (and have the large spike in respiratory rate in the middle of it). It is not just a 3 minute chart of just the respiratory rate graph, but of everything included in your 8 hour or so uploaded OSCAR charts. Simply only 3 minutes in total length vs. 8 hours or so. A brief snapshot of everything. Hopefully these instructions are better. If not, I can upload an example.
P.S. - you do have quite a bit of large spikes up in respiratory rate over the entire night. Not normal IMO.
Advisory Members serve as an "Advisory Committee" to help shape Apnea Board's rules & policies.
Membership in the Advisory Members group does not imply medical expertise or qualification for advising Sleep Apnea patients concerning their treatment.
Just read on another thread that flow rates are useful when looking at this as it could be a false reading if flow rates are oscillating on zero. I might have taken this totally out of context so i apologise for being massively in the dark about all of this but ive attached the screenshots from the same times showing flow rates.
Machine: Lowenstein Luisa Mask Type: Full face mask Mask Make & Model: Resmed Quattro FX Humidifier: separate F&P humidifier CPAP Pressure: Epap 4-20 PS 4-20; "auto" rate CPAP Software: Not using software
Other Comments: Using 45 degree angle upper body wedge (36"x36") and 4.5"soft cervical collar; 500 assured tidal vol
01-03-2024, 11:31 AM (This post was last modified: 01-03-2024, 11:32 AM by Jay51.)
RE: Brand new to this
Thank you very much for posting all of that. The only thing that jumps out is some jagged and pointed top waveforms in your one close up charts. I am not sure what is causing the respiratory rate spikes.
Advisory Members serve as an "Advisory Committee" to help shape Apnea Board's rules & policies.
Membership in the Advisory Members group does not imply medical expertise or qualification for advising Sleep Apnea patients concerning their treatment.
Thank you very much for taking the time to look over them for me!
When you say "jagged and pointed top waveforms" do you mean the respiratory rate?
I can't pretend to know what I'm talking about but it seems very odd to me that the respiratory rate is going up and down so much and not trending one way.
Do you think it might be to do with the flow rate oscillating around zero and double counting breaths like I read about in another thread?
No, it's the flow rates of the individual breaths which are jagged, which is often associated with snoring. Do you have someone else in the room when you sleep whom you could ask about changes to your snoring?
It does not look like legitimate tachypnea to me, but more likely double counting of some breaths by the machine due to the jaggedness. You have some flow limitations coming and going throughout the night, many members here have found that increasing EPR can clear those up. Your charts are showing that 11cm is enough pressure for you, so I would recommend keeping the pressure right there and enabling EPR full time and setting it to 2cm to see what we get.
Look, I'm an engineer, not a doctor! Please don't take my opinion as a substitute for medical advice.
I asked the Mrs and she hasn't noticed too much snoring. She is normally out for the count though so I'm not sure she would know.
I'll make a change to the epr tonight. Do you think its worth changing it to 1cm tonight and seeing how it goes before changing it to 2cm? To lower the risk of central apnea?
01-03-2024, 01:05 PM (This post was last modified: 01-03-2024, 01:08 PM by BoxcarPete.)
RE: Brand new to this
That's completely your call. My logic is that 2cm is the middle option so you can stay, go up one, or down one from there depending on how it goes. Starting with 1cm and sneaking up on it is perfectly valid as well.
I will note though that most people who use EPR are on 2 or 3, for some reason it's unusual to use 1cm but that doesn't mean it's wrong for you and your needs.
Look, I'm an engineer, not a doctor! Please don't take my opinion as a substitute for medical advice.
01-04-2024, 05:46 AM (This post was last modified: 01-04-2024, 05:49 AM by Cheesedream.)
RE: Brand new to this
Here is some info from last night with pressure left on 11cm and epr on 1cm.
i had a pretty terrible nights sleep because i fell asleep sometime after 12am and my mrs jumped awake at both 1am and 3am and i really struggled to get back to sleep after being woken up i was wearing the viatom watchme for a few hours at the start of the night and spo2 stayed around 97% apart from 1 drop to 94%. I'll try and wear it again all night tonight but i was frustrated with not being able to sleep so had to take it off.
I dont know if these look any better or not tbh. The overall respiratory rate looks slightly better maybe?