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[CPAP] Understanding Flow Rate
#1
Understanding Flow Rate
[Image: 20170224Screen.jpg]


Had  a good night on my cpap machine, the last hour and a half was really good, my question is the flow rate is high and steady, is that because the leak rate is right down?
Is a high flow rate a good or bad thing?
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#2
RE: Understanding Flow Rate
Looks like you are breathing rather shallow for much of the night.
Looking at your median statistics, your tidal volume of 340 ml is low; most are closer to 500 ml.
Your median Minute Ventilation is also low.

MV = TV x Resp Rate. for the median: 4.38 LPM = .34 Liters x 12.8 per minute.

As for what happened at 04:00 -- perhaps a shift in sleep position?

I've not been following your prior posts. I am wondering if you need a bilevel machine to increase TV.
Admin Note:
JustMongo passed away in August 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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#3
RE: Understanding Flow Rate
I mainly sleep on my back because I have sore shoulders. At about 4 I did change on to my right shoulder so that would explain that.
I have my flex setting on 2. Would changing that have any effect on the flow rate?
Had 2 loan machines one on auto then switched to cpap at 13 pressure. Ahi is much better on the fixed pressure.
Would a change of pressure change the flow rate? like go to 14 or change the flex?

Thanks
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#4
RE: Understanding Flow Rate
I looked at some of your prior posts. Looks like you are walking a tightrope between OA and CA. Increasing pressure might increase CAs.
Sleeprider responded; and he's very knowledgeable.

Here's the way I think things would go:
In today's medical system, they would say your present results are "good enough".

In a system oriented to best outcome, you would have a trial in a bilevel; likely fail due to CA being too high.
Then, be issued an ASV machine.

My best advice is to side sleep to the degree you can. Try to discuss your results with your doctor. Your doc may say "good enough" or may delve deeper.
Admin Note:
JustMongo passed away in August 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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#5
RE: Understanding Flow Rate
Thanks for your replies. I tried 2 things last night, and that was to set the flex to 3 and try sleeping on my side a lot more. Also turned my humidity down as my nose feels stuffed when I take the mask off. For the first few breaths with the mask off I can hardly breath through my nose. Here is the chart. What is with the breathing not detected -157.41%

[Image: 20170225screen.jpg]
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#6
RE: Understanding Flow Rate
You can see the periods of higher flow. Your median TV and MV is up.

The BND of -157.41% is a program bug. Sleepyhead is a product of a fellow hosehead from Oz.
It's a huge effort because it tries to read all machines and multilingual capability.
Admin Note:
JustMongo passed away in August 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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