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+--- Thread: Do Flow rate breaths need to be rounded or is pointy breaths acceptable as normal? (/Thread-Do-Flow-rate-breaths-need-to-be-rounded-or-is-pointy-breaths-acceptable-as-normal)
Do Flow rate breaths need to be rounded or is pointy breaths acceptable as normal? - Michaely6 - 05-29-2019
I always hear that rounded breaths are considered "normal" breathing. What cause the breaths to be a more pointy shape and is that considered to be normal?
RE: Do Flow rate breaths need to be rounded or is pointy breaths acceptable as normal? - Sleeprider - 05-29-2019
Looks good to me Mike, and the more you zoom into that flow graph, the more rounded it will become.
RE: Do Flow rate breaths need to be rounded or is pointy breaths acceptable as normal? - Michaely6 - 05-29-2019
Ok thanks sleeprider!
RE: Do Flow rate breaths need to be rounded or is pointy breaths acceptable as normal? - Gideon - 05-29-2019
Everyone is a little different. Yours are fine
RE: Do Flow rate breaths need to be rounded or is pointy breaths acceptable as normal? - Michaely6 - 05-30-2019
Does a low minute volume (6 or lower) something to be concerned about? I tried just about every pressure setting combination (increase pressure support/decrease pressure suppport, increase /decrease EPAP) and minute vent is always around 6 or high 5's. Does that indicate another respiratory issue? I feel like my minute vent is low for a guy my size (6'1" 205lbs) or am I looking too much at the numbers?
RE: Do Flow rate breaths need to be rounded or is pointy breaths acceptable as normal? - Sleeprider - 05-30-2019
Your minute vent is in the normal range for a person at rest and appropriate for your tidal volume of 500 mL and respiration rate of 12 BPM. Coincidentally 500 mL * 12 BPM = 6000 mL or 6 L/min. Mine is on the high side averating in the 9.5 L/min range, but that does not make it better, or necessarily worse. Your minute vent is appropriate if you remain properly oxygenated and blood CO2 levels are within a normal range. In general, if your CO2 levels were elevated, your respiratory rate would increase, which combined with your Vt would result in higher Mv. Since your needs at rest are met with a Mv of 600 L/min, we can probably assume you have very good gas exchange efficiency at the alveolar level. If you increase pressure support to increase Vt, it would probably result in a slow respiration rate and the same minute vent. That seems to reflect your experience.
RE: Do Flow rate breaths need to be rounded or is pointy breaths acceptable as normal? - Michaely6 - 05-30-2019
Sleeprider you are right on the money with you're assessment. Everytime I increase pressure support to increase Vt, my respiration rate decreases dramatically and for the most part somewhat lowers my overall minute vent. It seems like no matter what settings I dial in, I have consistent flow limitation even if set PS min at to the highest number which is 6 and leave the PS max at it's highest as well. I guess I'm just screwed at eliminating flow limitation. As far as my O2 levels, my O2 levels will dip in the low 80's every night but only for a short amount of time (less than a minute) so I wasn't sure if this met the criteria to be concerned since I read the levels need to be low for atleast 2 minutes. Is the O2 level dip something to be concerned about if it isn't for over 2 minutes?
RE: Do Flow rate breaths need to be rounded or is pointy breaths acceptable as normal? - Sleeprider - 05-30-2019
I think if your SpO2 is low <88% for five consecutive minutes, that might be a qualifier for O2 supplement. If your in the low 80 for two minutes total (not all at once), it can be sensor error and probably nothing to worry about. The best person to ask is your doctor. Do the low O2 levels correspond to events indicated on your data, or is this random?
RE: Do Flow rate breaths need to be rounded or is pointy breaths acceptable as normal? - Michaely6 - 05-30-2019
Thanks sleeprider. It appears random for the most part. My AHI will be 0 for the night and Spo2 still dips in the low 80's.