Oscar Data

[needsleep72]

    I have not posted in a long time.  Before my message I want to preface that I am aware that my ASV machine is recalled.  Pillips was only offering me $25 and for me to return my machine to them.  I can't sleep without this machine and I can't afford a new one.  I will not go through insurance as deductibles and all that jazz is more expensive for me.  I did remove the foam from my machine 6 months ago.   The reason for this post is I am trying to interpret the data Oscar is generating.  I am a mouth breather and for most of the night cannot breathe through my nose. I also have really high pressure.  I have not changed my settings in many years.  It is difficult for me to control leaks.  I bought a new mask.  F&P simplus full face mask.  I switched from Resmed AirFit F30 as it was leaking so bad and I was getting wind burn around my nose from the leaks.  My leaks are much better now.  I don't know what these tidal volume and patient triggered breaths are.  I feel fine today.  It looks like the majority of the apneas are H and CA. My OA is very low.  I just don't really know how to interpret all of this.  I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea.  100+ an hour.  I use my machine every night.  Are these high tidal volumes normal.  The machine triggered breaths seem to be high.  Or are these expected?

[Jay51]

It looks like you have on average a 12.5 epap and around 17.5 ipap. These are your medians in the statistics column in the upper left side of OSCAR.    

Your tidal volume chart is the highest I have ever seen in my life.  You don't have the tidal volume statistics, but just looking at the tidal volume chart, your tidal volume is massively enormous for the vast majority of the night!  Normal tidal volume for an average size male, for example is roughly 500ml.  You got into the 1,000's and 1,500's and close to 2,000 for long periods of time.  Wondering if your machine is accurately reporting this?  

I am not sure what to do about this.  Respiratory rate is close to normal though.

[ChadBSr]

I would address those leaks first to make sure the data is accurate

[staceyburke]

You are having positional apnea.  You can see positional apnea where either H or Oa events are clustered together.  Getting rid of as many as you can will lower your AHI.  Positional apnea can NOT be controlled by pressure changes.  You have to find out what position you are getting into and cutting off your own airway.  Have you changed your sleep position?  Sleeping on your back?  Using more (or new) pillows?  These things can cause positional apnea by chin dropping to your sternum and cutting your airway.  Think of it of a kinked hose – nothing can get through – you have to unkink the hose…

IF you can’t make a simple change like changing to a flatter pillow helps then you will need a collar.  I have a link to collars in my signature at the bottom of the page.  It shows people who are not wearing a collar and the SAME person wearing a collar.  There is a huge difference between the two.