[Equipment] New CPAP Questions. [A10 setup]

[anonEmouse2004]

Although I've been using a CPAP since 2007, newer machines have some features I'm not familiar with. My new ResMed AirSense 10 Autoset apparently will blow air through the tubing for 30-minutes after pressing the power button to dry the hose. I have to hold the button down for several seconds to get it to turn off immediately. How do you typically use this feature?

The AutoTitration feature is new to me as well. How long does it take for the machine to learn and adapt? My normal pressure is 14.5, so what should I set my high & low limits at? 

Since this is new, how would I verify the machine hours?

Thanks.

[PollCat]

You can download the Clinicians Manual by clicking on the link at the top of this page entitled "CPAP Setup Manuals". This will walk you through the setup process, and show you how to see the number of machine hours, etc.

[Gideon]

Sleepyhead charts will help us to better answer your questions.  CPAP, even Auto CPAPs are sense and react, so there is really no learning to do.  To Titrate most doctors set a range of 4 - 20 cmH2O, Other than 4 is too low for most people it actually is not to bad for an initial user.  For you, I would probably use an initial setting of 10 - 20 cmH2O and without flex (Flex Off).

The alternative, IMHO preferred, is to review your current charts (see the SleepyHead links in my sig) and modify as needed.  

As to the machine slowly blowing air after you turn it "off" I'd just let it.

How to access the machine's menu, read the manual in the top banner "CPAP Setup Manuals"  Look for "Run" hours.

Fred

[Sleeprider]

The Airsense 10 has many features that will take some time to adjust to. Since your CPAP pressure was previously 14.5 cm it is futile to expect that a wide-open range like 4-20 will give good results. I'm gong to suggest you set the Mode to Autoset, Standard, with maximum pressure 18 and minimum pressure 10. Eventually you will probably narrow that range into where the data take you , and that is likely to be a range of 12 to 16, but we start wider and observe for a while.

I also recommend you use some EPR under the Comfort Settings. Exhale Pressure Relief on the Airsense 10 will give from 1 to 3 cm of pressure relief during exhale. The implementation is identical to bilevel. Give it a try, but I would start with the EPR On, Full Time and set to 2. You can change the setting based on your results and comfort level.

I use the auto-start and stop feature called SmartStart under the Essentials feature. Also change Essentials from ON to PLUS so you get more detailed information on the screen and access to more features without going into the clinical menu. With smartstart, the machine will automatically start when you breathe with the mask on, and will turn off automatically when you remove the mask causing a large leak. The machine will run in cool-down mode for 20 minutes. I usually just let it run, but its just a matter of preference if you'd rather stop it immediately.

Finally on humidity, try auto for now. My preference is to use the manual mode and set humidity to a middle or upper range and a tube temperature of 80 F.

[anonEmouse2004]

Thank you for the replies. I have adjusted the settings per Sleeprider's suggestions. My previous machine had auto on, but the off feature was turned off. It also had pressure relief on exhale so I'm familiar with that and like it. I am so looking forward to sleeping again after not for nearly a month. Thank you for helping me work through this.

[anonEmouse2004]

So, last night was my first night with my new machine. Right away I found that getting accustomed to an Auto Titrating machine may be more difficult than I thought. Upon laying down using the settings above, I found my throat closing almost immediately and the machine didn't respond immediately as I expected it would. Rather than fiddle with the machine at that time in an attempt to make adjustments to the settings, I set the machine to CPAP and my previous pressure of 14.5 cmH2O. From there I seemed to sleep well for about 6-hours.

This morning I imported my first night's data into SleepyHead and am a bit surprised by what I saw. For reference, here's my last night on my previous machine:



Here's last night:

   

I am using the same mask I was previously and find it interesting the differences I see in the data. Ignoring the snoring in the first data set, it not only appears to be more detailed than data from the new machine, but the new machine shows significant large leaks and Obstructive Apneas compared to the previous machine at the same pressure. I don't know why this might be. Is the new machine reporting less data than my old one, or am I having fewer events of one type but more events of another? If so, what might have changed?

This morning I switched the machine back to Auto and increased the minimum pressure to 12 cmH2O thinking perhaps it may prevent my throat from closing and allow the machine to properly adjust itself.