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What is the range of duration of apneas and hypopneas?
#1
What is the range of duration of apneas and hypopneas?
I had the opportunity to try the Remstar pro C-flex and humidifier last night and was pretty amazed at the advances made over the last 8 years.

What really intrigues me is the ability to see (using the wonderful SleepyHead software and a clone of the SD card) each and every breath I took.

If the amplitude and duration of the "flow" chart corresponds directly to the depth and rate of my breathing then the events that this machine calls "hypopneas" aren't very scary. Also, the machine registered several hypopneas and an apnea before I was even asleep.

The machine told me I had five OAs during the night; none longer than 10 seconds and eleven hypopneas; none longer than 16 seconds.

This is just for one night of course.

Is there a guideline for these events in terms of their duration and the expected harmful effect?
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#2
RE: What is the range of duration of apneas and hypopneas?
The clinical definition for an apnea or hypopnea is obstructed or shallow breathing events greater than 10 seconds, and they are harmful in their cumulative effect of disturbing sleep and decreasing blood oxygen levels throughout the night.

5 OA + 11 HP over 7-8 hours suggests an AHI ~ 2, which qualifies as "treated" apnea but mine are typically < 1 with a pressure range of 7-12. Since it sounds like you have a relatively mild case, you might be able to achieve even fewer events by raising your pressure slightly.
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#3
RE: What is the range of duration of apneas and hypopneas?
(12-01-2015, 05:48 PM)Possum Wrote: The clinical definition for an apnea or hypopnea is obstructed or shallow breathing events greater than 10 seconds, and they are harmful in their cumulative effect of disturbing sleep and decreasing blood oxygen levels throughout the night.

5 OA + 11 HP over 7-8 hours suggests an AHI ~ 2, which qualifies as "treated" apnea but mine are typically < 1 with a pressure range of 7-12. Since it sounds like you have a relatively mild case, you might be able to achieve even fewer events by raising your pressure slightly.

Thanks Possum - what I'd like to have would be a machine that tracks breathing all night and can show how it is when there is no CPAP machine. I guess you could get close to that if you set the pressure to minimum - to 4, say.

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#4
RE: What is the range of duration of apneas and hypopneas?
Apneas and hypopneas need to be 10 seconds or longer to be "counted."

There's no upper limit. People often report 120 second apneas in sleep tests. I guess there's an upper limit to how long an apnea can be before it kills you, but actually, the way they measure it, you can actually get a little bit of breath and still call it an apnea.

A hypopnea could theoretically go on forever, since you're breathing a little.
Get the free OSCAR CPAP software here.
Useful links.
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If it's midnight and a DME tells you it's dark outside, go and check it yourself.
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#5
RE: What is the range of duration of apneas and hypopneas?
(12-02-2015, 01:31 AM)archangle Wrote: Apneas and hypopneas need to be 10 seconds or longer to be "counted."

There's no upper limit. People often report 120 second apneas in sleep tests. I guess there's an upper limit to how long an apnea can be before it kills you, but actually, the way they measure it, you can actually get a little bit of breath and still call it an apnea.

A hypopnea could theoretically go on forever, since you're breathing a little.

There seem to be two aspects (1) harm due to lack of oxygen and (2) harm due to sleep disturbance. Since SPO2 seems not to be affected by 'brief' apneas - not, anyway, for less that 20 seconds (I held my breath for one minute with full lungs and for 30 seconds with empty lungs and no change in SPO2) do you think it is correct to say that the major cardiovascular threat comes from case (1)?

I am fascinated by the ability of the new machines to show breathing patterns - I just had a night with AHA =3.04 and I recorded this strange sequence:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1ZlKa1...sp=sharing

any comments?

Thanks,
Spotty
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#6
RE: What is the range of duration of apneas and hypopneas?
(12-01-2015, 07:46 PM)spottymaldoon Wrote: Thanks Possum - what I'd like to have would be a machine that tracks breathing all night and can show how it is when there is no CPAP machine. I guess you could get close to that if you set the pressure to minimum - to 4, say.

That type of information is gathered during your sleep study, on very expensive equipment. Smile As far as I know, no CPAP machine can collect baseline, or "untreated," data. Even if you set the pressure to a minimum, I think the machine actually makes breathing more difficult without adequate pressure, since you have to pull air through the machine and then through your respiratory system (more resistance). That's why I don't use the ramp feature.
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#7
RE: What is the range of duration of apneas and hypopneas?
What is it that you consider strange about the sequence that you displayed? You had 2 OAs and at the end of each gulped a number of large breaths. Enough so that you overoxygenated yourself a little. took some smaller breaths to allow your CO2 to get back to normal and then went on breathing. Looks like pretty normal obstructive apneas to me.

Best Regards,

PaytonA

Admin Note:
PaytonA passed away in September 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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#8
RE: What is the range of duration of apneas and hypopneas?
I wish my Events chart looked like that!
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