(10-29-2016, 11:55 AM)David P. Wrote: And one other question: would the CPAP version not maintain a stable pressure, (in my case 11.5 after three days of trial) avoiding leak related problems?
There are several questions here.
1) The Resmed AirSense 10 CPAP and the Resemd AirSense 10 Elite CPAP are fixed pressure machines. That means that except for during the ramp period, they maintain
one pressure setting all night long.
2) When *any* Resmed PAP machine detects a leak, it will pump more air into the semi-closed "system" comprising your airway, your nose, your mask, the hose, and the machine
in order to maintain the desired pressure. It's worth noting that when the machine is pumping additional air into the system to
maintain the pressure in the presence of a leak, it can subjectively feel like the machine is trying to increase the pressure. But it's not ramping up the pressure in the presence of the leak.
Quote:For example, my loaner Autoset ramped up the air pressure when a leak occurred to 15. When I awoke and adjusted the seal, the pressure remained at 15, making it hard to exhale. Should it not have returned to a lower pressure, closer to 11.5?
If you did NOT turn the S9 AutoSet OFF after you awoke and adjusted the seal, the machine would keep the pressure at the current level. The S9 AutoSet has no way to tell that you woke up and that you want the pressure to return to your min pressure setting.
If you want the pressure to go back down after you wake up, you will need to turn the S9 AutoSet OFF and then back ON. That will start the pressure at the minimum pressure setting (if you don't use the ramp) or at the beginning ramp setting (if you do use the ramp) But that's the only way that you can reduce the pressure in the middle of the night.
Quote:I had to disconnect the hose to stop the machine and reset the pressure to the initial ramp pressure of 7
It sounds like you have SmartStart set to ON. With SmarStart set to ON, the machine starts when it detects breathing and it turns itself off when it detects no breathing for a set period of time.
You might want to read your owners manual. I believe that if you press the on/off button when the machine is ON, it will turn itself off even if you still have the mask on. And as soon as it detects your breathing, it should turn itself back on at your beginning ramp pressure of 7cm.
It's a shame that the S9s and the A10s don't have a way of hitting a "ramp" button without turning the machine off. It's also a shame that the only way you can turn the ramp off is through the clinical settings. In the PR machines, there's a separate Ramp button that you must press after the machine has been turned on in order to start the ramp period. And you can hit that ramp button anytime the machine is on and it will reduce the pressure back down without turning the machine off and back on.
Quote:In summary: what is the real deal concerning the CPAP machine and full data, and is the CPAP machine not more advantageous in maintaining a useful level of therapy versus fluctuating unnecessarily due to leakage? Thanks.
Some people do prefer straight CPAP both because it can be easier to manage the leaks and you don't have the issue of pressure increases waking you up.
The thing is you can always SET an APAP like your AutoSet to run in CPAP mode. But you cannot set a CPAP to run in Auto mode.
If you want to
experiment with straight CPAP, all you need to do is change the settings on your current machine from AutoSet to CPAP mode. Or just as effectively you can set min Pressure = max Pressure in AutoSet mode and the machine will not vary the pressure.
If you do decide to experiment with straight CPAP, the usual starting point is to set the pressure at your 90/95% Pressure level in the AutoSet data.