How variable is AHI, as reported by ResMed? (Mask fit)
And my follow-up question: how long is a piece of string?
I got a new foam "AirTouch" mask gasket yesterday, replacing the silicone one I had been suffering until now. My AHI last night was 1.5, up from 0.11 the previous night. I've only been doing CPAP for a few weeks, but my AHI has always been < 1, except when I've been deliberately fiddling with the pressure settings.
I confess that I had a job to get the mask to fit, although the leak rate report by OSCAR wasn't very different (essentially zero every night).
Before I blame the mask, I was wondering...
How common is it to see outliers in AHI like this, with no clear change in set-up or circumstances? I'm aware that 1.5 isn't a particularly worrying AHI, but it isn't "green" in the OSCAR statistics page
Best wishes, DS
RE: How variable is AHI, as reported by ResMed? (Mask fit)
That really is not something you can answer without data (oscar). Centrals are very inconsistent with one day none and the next with several. You could have slept in a wrong position (positional apnea). Mask leaks (although you said that was not the case). There are more but you have to post the data for anyone to know.
RE: How variable is AHI, as reported by ResMed? (Mask fit)
What Stacey said. Moving from one FFM to another probably shouldn't have made much difference unless it allowed you to sleep more or less than you were before etc. But we'd need to see your chart and what part of your AHI bumped up.
RE: How variable is AHI, as reported by ResMed? (Mask fit)
(01-11-2022, 09:14 AM)Ratchick Wrote: What Stacey said. Moving from one FFM to another probably shouldn't have made much difference unless it allowed you to sleep more or less than you were before etc. But we'd need to see your chart and what part of your AHI bumped up.
Well, you may remember that I posted a snippet of my periodic breathing in another thread. What was different last night -- with the new mask gasket -- was that more of the ups and downs in ventilation during these times of periodic breathing last night were actually flagged by the ResMed as apneas. I don't think my breathing was hugely different -- I suspect it often just hovers on the edge of being classed as an apnea.
I can't think of any reason why this would be related to the mask fit, when there were no more or fewer leaks. The new mask gasket is less uncomfortable, so perhaps I slept differently. Also it was warmer, so I wasn't woken as often by blasts of cold air into the mask.
I'm hoping this is just a fluke.
Best wishes, DS
RE: How variable is AHI, as reported by ResMed? (Mask fit)
AHI as reported from your PAP is almost never going to be a trend of exactly 0, 1, 2, 3, etc. You should, with time on PAP, recognize a trend that your AHI will be within a certain range, say 0-3 like mine was. A variance of .11 AHI is perfectly acceptable. Just keep looking, there's nothing wrong in doing that. But small variances are not worthy of your concern. Unless it drastically changed how you feel, you should just view statistics and form trends.
Note that zero AHI isn't your goal. You will be void of any comfort in the attempt. Comfort over AHI always.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
RE: How variable is AHI, as reported by ResMed? (Mask fit)
Potentially, a better mask fit with less leaks could lead to slightly more effective therapy, and if someone has treatment sensitive centrally disordered breathing, that could cause a few more central events. But again, small variations with centrals is par for the course (and sometimes big ones).
