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Dreammapper app questions
#1
Dreammapper app questions
Hello, 

Total noob here. Questions about the data dreammapper reports - 
  • The AHI reported on the dreammapper app, is that per hour ? per session (what constitutes a session) ? per night ?
  • The AHI on the machine is different to what the app shows. I did read another thread where someone faced this same question but there was no definitive answer. 
  • What does it mean when the app says there were A/B/C number of Total clear airway Apneas, Total Obstructive and Totoal Hypopneas (wonder if I will ever really understand the difference even after reading about these ad nauseam on googled pages)?  
    Were these the total number of obstructions the machine just detected or the machine detected and somehow bumped up the pressure and fixed the occurrences of these apneas ?  If the machine did help with the apneas, then it should report 0 apneas ? Or are these the apneas that happen even when using the machine on prescribed pressure (so should use a higher pressure - but on an auto cpap this should automatically be taken care of ... oh its like chasing my tail!)? 
Also 
First nights use the AHI was 1.7 with a mask fit of 93%.Second nights use the AHI was 2.9 with a mask fit of 100% - how can this be - a 100% mask fit is helping me lesser than a 93% mask fit ? 

My sleep study said my AHI = 31/hr. So am interested in knowing what the cpap machine data represents - to compare. 

I have imported data in to sleepyhead but it looks a bit complicated to understand what all the metrics are without a manual which I will read up soon. 


Cheers,
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#2
RE: Dreammapper app questions
G'day BHappy

I don't know much about DreamMapper, but I understand it's a bit of a cut-down version which gives the bare minimum information. #SleepyHead is the full deal and gives you more than you will ever need to know.

Just answering some of your general questions, though...

1. An obstructive apnea occurs when your tongue, soft palate and/or other tissue collapses during sleep and totally block (obstruct) the upper airway.

2. A clear airway (central) apnea occurs when there is no obstruction but you fail to take a breath. Typically this occurs because the "breathe now" signal is either not generated by the brain or not received by the lungs / diaphragm. This can occur when the level of CO2 in the blood does not reach the threshold required to trigger the "breathe now" signal. New CPAP users often get a few (or more) centrals until their body adjusts to the pressure.

3. An hypopnea is a partial obstruction - there is still some air getting through, but not enough.

The machine reports the number of apneas and hypopneas which actually occurred. A poorly set up machine will let a lot of events through and you'll have a high AHI. A well set-up machine will prevent most events, but a few will inevitably slip through. It's not realistic to expect a zero AHI, though these occasionally happen.

Using SleepyHead with my Resmed it reports the total number, time and duration of each event - your Dreamstation will probably do the same. The indices are the average number per hour over the night. So if you slept for 8 hours and had 16 obstructive, 8 clear airway and 4 hypopnea, your indices would be:

Obstructive OAI: 16 / 8 = 2.0
Central CAI: 8 / 8 = 1.0
Hypopnea HI: 4 / 8 = 0.5

The apnea hypopnea index (AHI) is the sum of these other indices: AHI = OAI + CAI + HI = 2.0 + 1.0 + 0.5 = 3.5

There's no direct correlation between AHI and mask fit, except that if the leakage goes over a predetermined red line (24 on a Resmed) the machine can't diagnose and treat events. Obviously there are other downsides to leaks, such as blowing into your eyes or causing face farts which can disturb your sleep (or get an elbow from SWMBO).
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#3
RE: Dreammapper app questions
G'day mate, 

I am amazed at your ability to put things in such a lay mans language. I now really understand the different types. 
So these reported events, did occur and went untreated by therapy, right ? 
Assuming the AHI data in the dreammapper and sleepyhead app (which are similar in my case) are per hour, the machine seems to have helped me significantly as the AHI is down to 2 even from 31 ! 

Cheers,
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