Hello Guest, Welcome to Apnea Board !
As a guest, you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use.
To post a message, you must create a free account using a valid email address.

or Create an Account


New Posts   Today's Posts

straight cpap at hospital
#1
straight cpap at hospital
Last week I was admitted to the hospital to try and correct an electrolyte imbalance where my sodium level had become quite low. I made mention upon admittance that I required a cpap machine at night. The response was "Oh, Ok....we will have the respiratory department bring one to your room." Later on in the day they brought me a machine and the nice lady fitted me with a nasal mask as that is all they had beside a full-face mask. She then turned on the machine to see how the pressure was. Oh....my!! The pressure at 12 felt like it was 25. After several adjustments it turns out that their machine was a straight cpap and there was no exhale relief. Extremely hard to breathe against that kind of pressure. I did not use it but slept, or tried to sleep, almost sitting upright. I had my husband bring my own cpap machine from home the next night. Make sure if you ever require hospitalization that you can bring your own machine because you cannot always count on theirs having some important features that your own machine may have.
Post Reply Post Reply
#2
RE: straight cpap at hospital
Good advice, and I will add that if a person is taking prescription medications bring them also. Same story as with the CPAP, if you want the correct medication, bring yours with you in their original bottles. The hospital may complain, but you have the right to use your own. They will however take your bottles to their pharmacy and then the nurses will bring your pills, from your bottles, from the pharmacy when it is time to take them (you can hope they will, but check carefully).
Post Reply Post Reply
#3
RE: straight cpap at hospital
I keep a copy of my written Rx in my wallet.
Those hospital machines can run in bilevel.
The thing that bugs most people is the ability to generate more flow than the little blowers in home units.
I found myself in the hospital twice in 2010 -- seemed like it could maintain pressure with a huge leak.

The quality of respiratory care seems to depend on the RT assigned to you. My first admission, I asked for the initial RT to never attend to me again.
My second admission, I wrote a letter of commendation for that RT.

And GrammaBear, watch that sodium level, low is dangerous. I could write a Tome on electrolyte imbalance; but no one would care to read it.
Admin Note:
JustMongo passed away in August 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
Post Reply Post Reply
#4
RE: straight cpap at hospital
I have my prescriptions, and OTC stuff, along with my medical history, and a complete detailed list of all my doctors on an EXCEL spreadsheet. I bring multiple copies to every doctor during standard office visits and naturally the times I go into the hospital, or in for an outpatient procedure. Makes everyone's job so much easier, but you would be surprised that even with all that up to date information on a single page, my PCP still doesn't keep my records in their computer system correct. You really need to be proactive whenever you go near a medical facility.
Post Reply Post Reply
#5
RE: straight cpap at hospital
I was told not to bring my CPAP to the hospital. Many hospitals require electric devices to be wired with a certain type of plug especially if there is oxygen in use in the room or nearby. I think the other half of this is they don't want the liability if something happens to the machine or you while you are in their care. I was told this by pre-admissions when I went in for my back surgery. They don't have issues with laptop cords or other charging devises as they are not considered medical equipment. I was told just to bring my mask. As it worked out, I never used it - they didn't have a connector that would fit. I was supposed to be semi reclined in the bed for the night, so they slapped a wireless O2 sensor on my finger and said if my rate went below their magic number, they would put me on O2 for the rest of the night. Forget how many crossword puzzles I did that night, but I did doze a couple of times in between them coming by every 4 hours.

Homer
Post Reply Post Reply
#6
RE: straight cpap at hospital
(09-20-2015, 03:30 PM)justMongo Wrote: I keep a copy of my written Rx in my wallet.
Those hospital machines can run in bilevel.
The thing that bugs most people is the ability to generate more flow than the little blowers in home units.
I found myself in the hospital twice in 2010 -- seemed like it could maintain pressure with a huge leak.

The quality of respiratory care seems to depend on the RT assigned to you. My first admission, I asked for the initial RT to never attend to me again.
My second admission, I wrote a letter of commendation for that RT.

And GrammaBear, watch that sodium level, low is dangerous. I could write a Tome on electrolyte imbalance; but no one would care to read it.

My sodium level was 130 in June 2015, 125 in August and 122 just last Thursday, 9-27-15. It was the 122 that really made me feel just horrid.

I don't know what a Tome is, but I would read it because it seems that I've had this hyponatremia forever! Sometimes it seems like I will never solve the mystery of why the sodium level varies so much. Will be seeing a kidney doctor this week, so perhaps he will have some thoughts that he can share with me and my husband.

Post Reply Post Reply
#7
RE: straight cpap at hospital
(09-20-2015, 03:52 PM)Homerec130 Wrote: I was told not to bring my CPAP to the hospital. Many hospitals require electric devices to be wired with a certain type of plug especially if there is oxygen in use in the room or nearby. I think the other half of this is they don't want the liability if something happens to the machine or you while you are in their care. I was told this by pre-admissions when I went in for my back surgery. They don't have issues with laptop cords or other charging devises as they are not considered medical equipment. I was told just to bring my mask. As it worked out, I never used it - they didn't have a connector that would fit. I was supposed to be semi reclined in the bed for the night, so they slapped a wireless O2 sensor on my finger and said if my rate went below their magic number, they would put me on O2 for the rest of the night. Forget how many crossword puzzles I did that night, but I did doze a couple of times in between them coming by every 4 hours.

Homer

I understand the possible frustration you experienced with them coming by every 4 hours. During the time I was in the hospital I cannot for the life of me remember how many fingersticks for my diabetes and how many blood draws they did for the sodium levels. One night the nurse did a blood draw at 10:30p.m., 3:30 a.m. and again at 5:30 a.m. The draw at 3:30 a.m. said my sodium level was 102 and my blood sugar was over 900 Thinking-about.....obviously something was wrong with the lab readings, so a re-draw was essential. My arms, hands and stomach look like I was in an auto accident. I must admit though that everyone that worked at that hospital was super nice and most explained what they were going to do and why, which for me made just being there a lot easier.

Post Reply Post Reply
#8
RE: straight cpap at hospital
FYI: A Tome is a very large book --- like War and Peace.
Admin Note:
JustMongo passed away in August 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
Post Reply Post Reply
#9
RE: straight cpap at hospital
Hi GrammaBear,
Sorry to hear of your recent hospital stay. Hopefully, they will get you straightened out and your sodium levels start to stabilize.

I know what you mean about using the hospitals CPAP. When I was in the hospital , I brought my machine and my mask too. I was just lucky not to have to need it.

Take care of yourself!

OpalRose
Apnea Board Administrator
www.apneaboard.com

_______________________
OSCAR Chart Organization
How to Attach Images and Files.
OSCAR - The Guide
Soft Cervical Collar
Optimizing therapy
OSCAR supported machines
Mask Primer



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.
Post Reply Post Reply
#10
RE: straight cpap at hospital
Hi GrammaBear,
I hope you get to feeling better, soon, do take care of yourself.
trish6hundred
Post Reply Post Reply


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Can posture cause UARS? Should I go straight for CPAP? frigid 2 572 07-21-2023, 05:45 PM
Last Post: frigid
  [Diagnosis] Best Sleep Hospital or Clinic for Troubleshooting PAP Perchance2Dream 0 409 05-09-2023, 09:34 PM
Last Post: Perchance2Dream
  Need help: stinky air from CPAP after hospital stay SakimaStorm 4 577 01-26-2023, 07:49 PM
Last Post: SakimaStorm
  [Pressure] Testkit hospital | First Nights | Oscar Data | Pressure Settings Tjahkwn 3 549 10-23-2022, 12:42 PM
Last Post: Dormeo
  Forgot the name of sleep apnea doctor and hospital sanemonk1 1 597 04-21-2022, 07:16 PM
Last Post: Jeff8356
Question Do you get up straight away? Lie in? or sleep some more? SevereApnea 9 1,076 11-15-2020, 06:02 PM
Last Post: mesenteria
Question [Equipment] Cut & splice Airmini tube to add QTube? Source for 15mm straight connectors? john.mccarthy 4 2,043 02-26-2020, 09:35 PM
Last Post: booksfan


New Posts   Today's Posts


About Apnea Board

Apnea Board is an educational web site designed to empower Sleep Apnea patients.