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Tell me what I need to look for in CPAP results
#1
Tell me what I need to look for in CPAP results
This may have been asked before but I'm going to ask again.

I have downloaded and installed the Resmed ResScan software and Sleepyhead software on my PC. I have about a months worth of data and was looking at all the results and nifty graphs and it's still all pretty greek to me. So can someone point me to some document or instructions regarding analysis of the results or can someone reply back and tell me what I need to know?

What I want to be able to do is look at the results and tell if the cpap is doing it's job. I would like to know how well I'm doing. I would like to know the relationship (cause and effect) between event results and other results. I would like to know how well my mask is working.

Bottom line is that I look at the nice graphs and other results and I don't have a clue about anything. I could be looking at a graph that shows that everything is awful and I wouldn't know the difference between good and bad. I would really like to know what I'm looking at so I can speak in some level of intelligence with my doctor when I have my appointment later on this month so any information on how to analyze this stuff would be appreciated.

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#2
RE: Tell me what I need to look for in CPAP results
Hi moondoggy, welcome! Smile

Well, I don't have too much experience with SleepyHead yet, but as far as ResScan, it's probably best that you first read through THIS THREAD about the ResScan software.... especially about post #4, with regard to the ResScan terms and what they mean. Some of those terms are generic and will also apply to what you're seeing if you use SleepyHead.

Then, go to this video on how to get around and do things within ResScan:

http://www.apneaboard.com/resscan.htm

Then, go to THIS POST, in our Private Files and Links area (login required). In that post, click on the link with large fonts that says something like, "ResScan Chart Interpretation Page". Read through that page carefully and it will help you interpret what you're seeing in your ResScan data.

Also, read through the ResScan Manual. If you installed ResScan in the default directory, the Manual should be on your computer at:

c:\program files\resmed\ResScan3\ResScan Clinician's Manual.pdf


After you go through all that stuff, if you have specific questions, feel free to come back to this thread and ask anything you wish.

It's a lot to take in all at once, so don't get frustrated. This CPAP data analysis business can take you in pretty deep. Both ResScan and SleepyHead are excellent packages and can provide, at times, so much data to view that it's easy to become overwhelmed (at least for me it was). Cool

Some of the main things you should pay attention to is your AHI trends, flow, leak, how many centrals vs. obstructive sleep apnea events, hypopneas, your 95% percentile pressure, etc.... these terms are defined in the above links.

Hope this is enough to get you started at least.

Sleep-well


SuperSleeper
Apnea Board Administrator
www.ApneaBoard.com


INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.


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#3
RE: Tell me what I need to look for in CPAP results
The S9 AutoSet consider leak under 24L/min is good and able to compensate for leaks below the red line shown in the ResScan and the therapy and data results wouldn't be compromised.
Read through the ResScan manual as SS suggested together with the ResScan Chart Interpretation Page.
S9 data management guide: glossary
http://www.resmed.com/au/assets/document...ow_eng.pdf





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#4
RE: Tell me what I need to look for in CPAP results
(03-03-2012, 11:35 PM)moondoggy Wrote: This may have been asked before but I'm going to ask again.

I have downloaded and installed the Resmed ResScan software and Sleepyhead software on my PC. I have about a months worth of data and was looking at all the results and nifty graphs and it's still all pretty greek to me. So can someone point me to some document or instructions regarding analysis of the results or can someone reply back and tell me what I need to know?

What I want to be able to do is look at the results and tell if the cpap is doing it's job. I would like to know how well I'm doing. I would like to know the relationship (cause and effect) between event results and other results. I would like to know how well my mask is working.

Bottom line is that I look at the nice graphs and other results and I don't have a clue about anything. I could be looking at a graph that shows that everything is awful and I wouldn't know the difference between good and bad. I would really like to know what I'm looking at so I can speak in some level of intelligence with my doctor when I have my appointment later on this month so any information on how to analyze this stuff would be appreciated.

I'm like you, I like to see the data, and know how to interpret it myself, and the answers above mine should get you started.

But, honestly, the bottom line is really "can you tolerate the mask/pressure... and do you feel better?"

If you can say "yes" - especially to the last bit, because the first will come with familiarity, then who cares? :-) Of course, I say that, but I still download my data every week, and go through it...
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#5
RE: Tell me what I need to look for in CPAP results
hi all,
I use now my S9 since may 2011, and as a computer scientist, was monitoring the data from the start ( one reason of choosing the S9 + autoset). i'll give here my experience and hope it can help others.( btw it helps me too by forcing me to remember how i learned to live and progressivly trust in the CPAP machine and the improvments of my sleeping and health). Yes definitively improvement happened.
I remenber having studied in details the S9 algorithms and done severe acceptance tests when installing the machine (checked pressure levels and behavior - stopped breathing , moved the mask to generate leaks, bending the pipe, switch the power- and checking the recorded data.

here is how i review the data
After downloading from the SD card, i would review first the Statistics and check the AHI & IA events.
  • If i only check the current night session i would browse the detailed data for events, leaks, and pressure levels[see below why these only]
  • if i want to check the data over a longer period, i will set the period and using the reporting feature, generate a pdf file, which i can archive, and which i find easier to browse and analyse as it will only contain the data i have selected.[ see below an example with data for a day holding on one page.]
Why do i review the data? My concern is to check my IHA, but also that the machine+ mask are working properly ( leaks, events).
I tried at the beginning to establish correlations between IHA and life conditions and feelings ( working/eating/drinking/... hard/light...have physical activity, loosing weight,...), but could not come to some credible relationships over a period of 6 months( e.g. even after a 3 week summer holiday, with real improvments and real rested feelings... events were still here!, worse "bad " feelings after a night with almost no events! )

What data i review
My doctor told me that they first check AHI and if something wrong is detected ( IHA>4) they look further in other data.
My average IHA is around 2, but i make sure to check that this value is consistent and that my machine is working properly by checking all co related relevant values:
  • events (Obstructive Apnea Central Apnea Unknown Apnea Hypopnea ). Important see event durations (should be less than half a minute)
  • leaks ( if above 24l/min, event evaluation is not possible)
  • Airflow limitations ( to see if events were avoided by the S9 algorithm and airflow variations around the events
  • additionnaly Pressure level ( to see if some event were avoided by pressure elevation, and pressure level vartiations in time aroiund the events detection
voila that 's basically the data i still check.

Whereas i would have checked every day or end of week at the beginning, now i check only if i feel having had a bad night( and have some time to do the check), and once in a month or 2!
I would use the reporting feature of the Rescan software and produce a pdf file over a few months of usage.
Here is an example of a one day data synthesis ( sorry it is in French, because i could not manage to install ResScan using english on my PC)
edit : link to image refused because i am too new on the forum, will provide it when allowed.
(check this url [link removed by Admin - does not work])




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#6
RE: Tell me what I need to look for in CPAP results
(03-03-2012, 11:35 PM)moondoggy Wrote: What I want to be able to do is look at the results and tell if the cpap is doing it's job. I would like to know how well I'm doing. I would like to know the relationship (cause and effect) between event results and other results. I would like to know how well my mask is working.

Bottom line is that I look at the nice graphs and other results and I don't have a clue about anything. I could be looking at a graph that shows that everything is awful and I wouldn't know the difference between good and bad. I would really like to know what I'm looking at so I can speak in some level of intelligence with my doctor when I have my appointment later on this month so any information on how to analyze this stuff would be appreciated.

Hi,

This is what I do when I wake up in the morning.

First, I try to remember to take my blood pressure, while lying down in bed, before getting up to pee, but sometimes Nature calls too loudly. Record your blood pressure somewhere.

Launch Sleepyhead, and read the statistics for last night, and try to compare them with your memory of them from the previous night.

Go to Overview, and attend to the turquoise section of the bar graphs; this is your Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) fraction, which is all I worry about for now. Look at the trend of the turquoise sections. Mine is decreasing, so I am happy.

Next I scan down the graphs looking at them and asking myself if they relate in any way to my OSA in turquoise above in the first graph. This is just to teach myself about the graphs.

Next go to Daily, and look around for anything that jumps out at you, and then go to the Pie Chart in Column One. Study the stats under the Pie Chart as you look at the Pie Chart. Focus on OSA, the turquoise part.

Next look up higher in Col One, right below the Calendar, and click on Events. The click on the horizontally pointed triangle next to Obstructive Apnea, to open up this section.

Click on Event 1, and study the results for all the graphs. Do this for each event. Please explore around as you do this. Satisfy your curiosity, and let it drive your learning.

Do this for all of the events.

Finally click on Notes, and write yourself any notes about what you have learned.

While in Notes, go to the bottom of Col One, and type in your body weight, into the boxes provided, after peeing of course. My scale is digital so I have to compute ounces from tenths of pounds.

Rate how you are feeling using the sliding scale just above the body weight entries.

Now go to Overview, and notice the three new graphs at the bottom: body weight, Body Mass Index, and How You Feel.

From now on, try to relate these three graphs to the rest of your graphs and your data.

Please let me know if this helps at all.

Caveat: I am a beginner with less than 40 days on CPAP, and only nine days on Sleepyhead, so I am still learning something every day.

I love my Sleepyhead software. I am very impressed with it so far.

Netskier



My age is none of my mind's business. --- Netskier
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#7
RE: Tell me what I need to look for in CPAP results
My advise is READ and when youve done that READ some more and keep reading as this is where knowledge is gained. There isnt any short cuts, read threads, read posts read books and info on the net and slowly it will sink in to a point where you will open ResScan take a quick glance and say yep all is well.
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#8
RE: Tell me what I need to look for in CPAP results
Great to read about all the analytics...Thanks
I just got a new S9 Autoset and want software that will run on my mac> does either Rescan or Sleppyhead work on a mac? And where can I download??
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#9
RE: Tell me what I need to look for in CPAP results
(03-19-2012, 12:05 PM)rayresmeds9 Wrote: Great to read about all the analytics...Thanks
I just got a new S9 Autoset and want software that will run on my mac> does either Rescan or Sleppyhead work on a mac? And where can I download??

Hey, congrats on the new S9 AutoSet... I think you'll like it.

The main SleepyHead web site is here:

http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/sleepyhead

You can download a Mac version here:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/sleepyhe...%20Builds/

Also, you can read and discuss SleepyHead in this thread:

http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...e-JediMark

Welcome to Apnea Board, Ray!

Smile
SuperSleeper
Apnea Board Administrator
www.ApneaBoard.com


INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.


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#10
RE: Tell me what I need to look for in CPAP results
I can't give you any advice but my question is: How do you feel? Do you feel better during the day? More rested and less sleepy? I think how you feel should tell you a lot. I don't read any data; I find it way too over my head. I just go by how I feel and asked doc what my AHI was. When I need new pillows or new supplies I know because I am more tired the next day until I get new supplies. If you can read all the info and learn from it, go for it. Knowledge is always a good thing, and you can find lots from here.
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