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New OSCAR User - Suggestions? - Printable Version

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New OSCAR User - Suggestions? - Delapac - 10-25-2021

Hi All - 

I am a relatively new CPAP user (started in July 2021) and brand new OSCAR user having a ResMed AirSense 11 Autoset. My AHI was 8.8 at diagnosis. I've attached my OSCAR data from last night. I would be most appreciative for any insight or tips anyone has. Thanks!


RE: New OSCAR User - Suggestions? - Sleeprider - 10-25-2021

Welcome to Apnea Board. Your graph would be more helpful if it included the summary statistics and settings in the left column. Read Organizing your Oscar Chart in my signature links. Based on what we see here, the Resmed Airsense 11 Autoset is set to 5-20 pressure with EPR full-time at 2 and a 45 minute ramp. For the most part, therapy is good and the Autoset stays ahead of events, except for the cluster of OA at 23:25. That is classic positional apnea or chin-tucking, and is discussed in our Optimizing Therapy wiki under the heading of Positional Apnea http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php/Optimizing_therapy#Positional_Apnea

Your therapy efficacy is excellent, but will be better with a minimum pressure of 7.0, Maximum 16.0, EPR full-time at setting 3, and turn off Ramp. Watch for chin-tucking,and if you use multiple pillows or a thick one, consider reducing the height, but with only one cluster, you probably don't need to resort to a soft cervical collar. The revised settings will compensate for EPR and keep pressure much more stabilized. Go for comfort and choose whether to keep EPR 2 or 3 after trying the higher setting. The minimum pressure is based on a minimum exhale pressure of 4.0 plus the EPR of 3 for a minimum starting pressure of 7.0.


RE: New OSCAR User - Suggestions? - staceyburke - 10-25-2021

Welcome to the board.  There are many people here that are quite knowledgeable and will help you if you want it.

I see 2 things in your charts.

1st take a look at the row of O events.  You can easily see around 2:30 you have a group of OA events - that is positional apnea.  Positional apnea is when you get into a position where you cut off your own airway.  Many times it is while sleeping on your back (but does not have to be) or sleeping on to high of a pillow.  You only had one time all night where you had the problem.  Not something to be to concerned about but you need to find out why you got into that position and stay out of it.

2nd is EPR (exhale pressure relief)  It does 2 things - first it allows you to have a lower exhale pressure and is more comfortable And it helps with Hypopnea and flow limits.  So it is something you could benefit from.  Let me explain a little about the pressures and EPR.

The min pressure is the inhale and exhale pressure.  By adding the EPR it lessens the exhale pressure.  For example Min 7 EPR 3 would give you an inhale pressure 0f 7 Exhale pressure of 4 (min-EPR).

The absolute lowest pressure that a cpap can go is 4.  So your settings of min 5 EPR 2 can not work as intended (min 5 -EPR 2 would be 3) the lowest your machine can go is 4.

I would suggest you change the min pressure and EPR as follows.
Min 7
EPR 3

That should allow you to have a more restfull night.  Pressures are driven up by flow limits - look at you pressure chart and the flow limits chart.  You can see when you have a larger flow limit your pressures go up.  The EPR helps cut down on flow limits.


RE: New OSCAR User - Suggestions? - quiescence at last - 10-25-2021

if you only had a camera taking video at the time, you could have caught the alien being strangling you.  and hopefully not a relative using the wrong method for getting you to stop snoring.

Lolabove 

QAL


ps. the chart looks good, only a few wholesale leak events (which can make the system mis-measure your flow, etc.) finding out what the causes were and prevent them will help, and I would not change any setting at this time.