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Interrupted readings, leakage
#1
Interrupted readings, leakage
I had interrupted cpap usage.  The first four hours was logged when I woke with ahi of 1.6. The two hours after I put the mask back on ( after forgetting for an hour or so) and total ahi was 4.6.

This implies really bad ahi for the 2 hour period, 1/3 of the reading time to move the average up so much from 1.6.

Does the ahi really move around that much and is average data misleading?

Also, moved to the nasal pillow with prongs and ahi numbers below 2 but leakage still above 30 L/ min.  Should I worry about leaks if ahi good?
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#2
RE: Interrupted readings, leakage
G'day Commodore. Welcome to Apnea Board.

The number of events can vary considerably during the night, depending on the stage of sleep and your posture (eg back v side sleeping).

To get a more detailed view of what's happening, I suggest you download and install the OSCAR program, which will give much more (and more useful) data than MyAir.

Quote:Also, moved to the nasal pillow with prongs and ahi numbers below 2 but leakage still above 30 L/ min. Should I worry about leaks if ahi good?

Unfortunately the machine can't properly treat or diagnose events when the leak goes above 24 L/min. So a good AHI number can be misleading if the leak is high. The first rule is always get your leaks under control before tackling other issues.
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#3
RE: Interrupted readings, leakage
Thank you for reply, seems the sleep specialists cibfused on the issue. I was concerned about accuracy of detection. If I hear you correctly none of my data is useful as average leak is 30. I repeatedly asked health care people and they said as long as ahi in range not to worry.

Very dissappointing. Does Resmed have an official manual of this topic? Seems like a pretty important and misunderstood issue.

Thank you for the reply and welcome.
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#4
RE: Interrupted readings, leakage
It may not be as bad as all that. There may well be periods of low leaks as well as the high leaks. OSCAR can show graphically when the high leaks occur and it's then possible to see if there's any correlation between leaks and ahi.

You can obtain a copy of the clinicians manual via the link at the top of this page (CPAP Setup Manuals) make sure you specify the exact make and model of machine and follow the instructions exactly to make life easier for our elves.
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#5
RE: Interrupted readings, leakage
I'm just swinging from the rafters here, but I would think that most often a 'large' leak, such as your number of 30 liters suggests, would be noticeable by the mask wearer when it happens.  Not always.  But often, for someone with trouble adapting to a mask, a new type of mask, a new machine, or to new settings, you'd be jerked out of sleep when that last of air escapes and rushes over body hairs.  Or it would make a new noise and that would do it.  My speculation is that maybe it's not your mask or its fitting, but somewhere else?  Maybe a hose fitting, a hole, the humidifier reservoir not seated properly?

If you are quite certain that it's your mask and nowhere else, then it will be deflection or deformation that causes the leaks.  You'll have to modify your sleeping position, maybe the type of pillow you use, or how you use what you have, or think about getting a different mask that isn't so badly affected by how you sleep.

The suggestion to learn about OSCAR and how to present readings in graphic form here is an excellent one.  The information depicted, once you arrange it according to the suggested organization instructions, will help a great deal.
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#6
RE: Interrupted readings, leakage
These are most helpful

I will inspect the hoses , resavoir etc

I am not disrupted by massive flowing air at all 

Thank you both for response s
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#7
RE: Interrupted readings, leakage
Thank you for the Oscar idea.  Got it working.  I observe that most leaks are not that bad, but the MyAir app seems to report the 95% percent, not the median.  Also, my apnea event consistently rise from 4:30 am to 6 am when I wake.  So most of the night is below 2 per hour.

Is it others experience that AHI moves up closer to waking?

Thank you again for the insight.  Sad that blogs better insight then Drs.
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#8
RE: Interrupted readings, leakage
I tend to have the most events in deepest sleep and that's usually in the early, early morning. most of the night I sleep on one side or the other but I've been waking from deepest sleep on my back and that usually produces more apnea. otoh, while I don't lay around in sleep-wake with mask on - I take it off when awake for more that a minute or two - a lot of people report more events in that transition period of waking and dozing, usually at the beginning or end of a sleep session.
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#9
RE: Interrupted readings, leakage
Interesting, so I’ll remove upon waking.  See if that changes data.  There is so much information on these reports,  is there an online primer on how to read Oscar ?
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#10
RE: Interrupted readings, leakage
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...OSCAR_Help

A lot of people do most of their dreaming in the last hour-plus of their night.  And, if they're like me, they are quite likely to have turned onto their backs just about then as well.  So, if you have the kind of obstructive apnea where your chin tucks down to your chest, or your tongue moves back, or your throat tissues close onto the airway, you would see more apnea/hypopnea events.  The mask is fighting them, pretty much successfully, so you aren't necessarily aroused....hence your dreaming frequency is met.
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