[Diagnosis] What are my unclassified apneas?

[nickjohn]

AHI 2.33 over 2 sessions totaling 8 hours. So not serious. But what are these.

[SarcasticDave94]

If I'm correct, this will be Apnea events that are not specifically Obstructive Apnea or Hypopnea. This Unclassified is to catch the other events.

[nickjohn]

It looks to me like the machine is starting to fail. The air compressor is sticking, and no air pressure is gererated.

[SarcasticDave94]

Hmm if there's no air coming out then yes there's an issue.

Curious, why are you on an ST? And how old is your ST?

[nickjohn]

Hmm if there's no air coming out then yes there's an issue.

Curious, why are you on an ST? And how old is your ST?

There is air when I am awake. But looks like a sensor does not switch on when I inhale (intermittent). I bought it at an estate auction. How old? I don't know. Is there a date on it? Are you saying its old worn out junk? Why I am using an ST, because it was only $50, and does simple cpap or bipap. You already said unclassified apneas are unknow. Why the questions about why an ST?

[SarcasticDave94]

An ST would possibly been issued to someone that has a bit higher level of Apnea or breathing issues. ST is a low level ventilator type, which stands for Spontaneous Timed.

Why would I ask you questions? To help clarify the situation you're dealing with. I've learned all I need to know about your situation.

[staceyburke]

Different Cpap machines treat DIFFERENT types of apnea. I’m not very knowledgeable on anything except machines I have been using for 30+ years (resmed & Phillips Cpap machines). 

This is from our wiki site:

• BiLevel machines may trigger IPAP based on the patient's spontaneous respiratory effort, or may include a backup rate that triggers IPAP based on a timed trigger, or more sophisticated algorithm that maintains the respiration rate in breaths per minute. These machines with backup rates are non-invasive ventilators for insurance purposes and are in three classes; Spontaneous-Timed (ST), Adaptive servo ventilators (ASV), and Volume-Assured Pressure Support (AVAPS or iVAPS). ASV, AVAPS and iVAPS much more sophisticated and are used to treat central apnea, Cheyne-Stokes respiration,and hypoventilation related to thoracic impairment or obesity. The more sophisticated machines other than ST, help maintain both respiratory volume and rate and target minute vent, tidal volume and even alveolar minute vent. and other conditions. Non-invasive ventilation is the highest level of positive air pressure machine, and is usually prescribed only when less sophisticated machines have failed, and bilevel with a backup rate is determined to be medically necessary and effective for the conditions being treated.
  

[Geer1]

Why I am using an ST, because it was only $50, and does simple cpap or bipap. 

Kinda, sorta, barely. Also a horrible waveform if all you have is basic obstructive apnea. 

All sorts of weirdness in that data. High respiration rate, looks like restricted breaths and apnea, poor quality breaths all over the place (typical with square waveform). Impossible to know exactly what is going on without a lot more info on your background (diagnosis, sleep study results, how long been using a machine, all the machine settings etc).

If I had to guess which it appears is what you would like us to do I would say those are obstructive apnea, you have backup rate turned off and the ST doesn't classify apnea or the ST has an option to turn FOT off and yours is off. 

You should find a machine more suitable to your situation. Autoset, VPAP S or Vauto (best of the bunch). All will be better than this machine for what appears to be your situation (again guessing).

[SarcasticDave94]

I'd make a few extrapolations. You probably have near vanilla Apnea, this ST over treatment for you, a VAuto will be better, and you'd rather we guess than ask questions.

[Ratchick]

I'm still trying to figure out what you mean about no pressure. That looks like it has straight pressure all the way through (at least for the highlighted section), which is how it's meant to be with those settings. And yes, an unclassified apnea means the machine couldn't figure out what it is. The machine has to basically guess, based on the obstruction of your airway, if it's obstructive or central. Sometimes it gets it wrong and marks centrals as obstructive because it can't directly measure chest movement (which is the marker of a central event, not the level of airway obstruction). It also doesn't know if you're asleep or awake, so might mark obstructions that aren't sleep apnea. And if it isn't sure, or if you have a complex apnea that is partly obstructive then moves to clear or vice versa, or if you have a big leak and it can't properly read your breathing or anything else that doesn't match its pretty awesome algorithm (but still limited by what we can program a machine to interpolate from the data) - then it gets marked as a UA. It may well be nothing. It just means the machine isn't quite as smart yet as a fully trained human reading it with their own eyes when it varies from the expected. And IIRC, the ASV doesn't mark centrals as centrals, it marks them as UAs... I'm not sure if that's also the case for an S/T too. If it is, then there's a good likelihood they're what would be marked as CAs in an APAP.