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+--- Thread: Minimum EPAP 4 or 5? (/Thread-Minimum-EPAP-4-or-5)
Minimum EPAP 4 or 5? - permabear - 10-21-2021
When it comes to pressure settings, people here are often advised to start with a minimum EPAP of 5. So for bilevel therapy you might take min EPAP =5, max IPAP =15 and PS=4 as a start, to see where the algoritm is going. That makes sense.
But wouldn't it be better to start with a minimum of 4? I mean, we all want maximum results with minimum pressure, do we?
I understand you need to choose an EPAP level that is sufficient in order to prevent from any OA to happen. But for people with UARS or only hypopneas, that trick could easily be done with an EPAP of 4. Those people might be effectively treated with an EPAP of only 4 and a PS of 4-6.
My assumption is that low pressure settings are more comfortable than the higher ones.
So why would any one take an EPAP level of 5 for a start?
Thank you for explaining this.
RE: Minimum EPAP 4 or 5? - Sleeprider - 10-21-2021
In your other thread with the Airsense 10 http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-Next-step , you showed persistent flow limitations, but low AHI, and results were roughly the same with pressure at 7/4 as compared to higher pressures. The autoset pressure was consistently driven by flow limitation. It's fine to start with an EPAP min of 4 and PS 4. The whole point of using bilevel is to maximize comfort, and it may take some experimenting to see what works best for you.