Random periods of elevated respiratory rate

[budor]

Does anyone have an idea what would cause a respiratory rate to jump form around 14 to the mid to upper 40's for an extended period?

I use OSCAR to track my stats, and I am having random periods of elevated respiratory rate. It's normally around 14 but for periods of 10-20 minutes the rate will more than double into the mid to upper 40's.

I think an episode will only end because I wake up. I will wake up throughout the night and sometimes turn my machine off and on again to reset it to a lower pressure which makes it easier to get back to sleep. I notice in OSCAR that my mask pressure often drops all the way down when an elevated respiratory rate ends (i.e. I just turned my CPAP off and back on).

[SarcasticDave94]

Could you add an OSCAR shot of a night with the elevated respiratory rate? It may help give clues to what's going on.

[Sleeprider]

Usually, a highly elevated respiration rate is actually uneven respiration where the machine cannot detect the full respiratory cycle. It can be caused by movement, flow limitation and a weak inspiratory effort. Hard to say without looking closely at the respiration flow rate chart.

[budor]

Thanks for the replies. I thought I added a screenshot but it doesn't show in the post. I'll try again.

[Sleeprider]

Give me a zoomed screenshot of one of the periods with elevated respiration rate and one without. The MOST important graph is the Flow Rate which is not included in your graph. We want to see the following graphs:
Event Flags
Flow Rate
Pressure
Leak Rate
Flow Limit (Resmed only. Respironics includes Flow Limitation in Events)
Snore

Please read this wiki on Organizing Your Oscar Chart http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...ganization
Now re-read the wiki paying attention to the "Additional Options" section where an example of a zoomed graph is shown. That is what we want to see to interpret the flow rate. I am certain that in your case we will not see nice smooth flow waves, but more irregular looking breathing.

[biorn]

Hello,

I think it's a reaction to the pressure. The flow rate with a zoom at 5min when rate increase could be usefull.

I mean you starting with cpap? Is it all nights like this?

If it, try to set EPR option to 3, if already set at 3, change max to 8 and check if the respiration rate increase over 25.

Edit: Sleeprider responded when I wrote, so yes

[budor]

Here are screenshots of an elevated and normal respiration rate.

          

[biorn]

hum ok, so you respiration rate is the same but due to this choppy breathing, the resp rate is fucked up.

I don't know if its data acquisition issue, I have never seen that. I'll let someone more experienced answer.

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Could you zoom more. Like 1min

[budor]

OK, here are screenshots that are zoomed in to show more detail. What I'm guessing (and it's only a guess). It looks like the time it computes my respiratory rate in the 40's has a flow rate with a secondary wave pattern compared to the respiratory rate around 14. It looks like there a wave pattern on top of a wave pattern. If you look at the larger wave pattern (looking at the mins and maxes) between the two screenshots they are essentially the same. I'm guessing it's registering the secondary wave pattern as contributing to my respiratory rate.

This wave pattern goes on for 10-20 minutes. Is this valid data that reflects my respiratory rate or is this somehow bad data?

           

[biorn]

OK, here are screenshots that are zoomed in to show more detail. What I'm guessing (and it's only a guess). It looks like the time it computes my respiratory rate in the 40's has a flow rate with a secondary wave pattern compared to the respiratory rate around 14. It looks like there a wave pattern on top of a wave pattern. If you look at the larger wave pattern (looking at the mins and maxes) between the two screenshots they are essentially the same. I'm guessing it's registering the secondary wave pattern as contributing to my respiratory rate.

This wave pattern goes on for 10-20 minutes. Is this valid data that reflects my respiratory rate or is this somehow bad data?

   

Exactly that what I called "choppy breathing", each time flow cross the 0 two times it's a breathing cycle for CPAP and your rate increase.

I'm pretty sur you have an issue with the pressure.

When you started the therapy?