10-02-2021, 11:57 AM
Making sense of significantly different leak rates
In my personal experience with BIPAP, a night with a very low AHI and low pressures & flow limitations tends to correlate with a very low leak rate.
Yet, sometimes I see a glaring exception which I am trying to understand. Two recent nights provide an example of such a contrast. Both had wonderful (and atypical for me) AHIs below 1.0 and low average pressures (and 0.0 flow limitations) yet significantly different Median and 95% leak rates:
Sep.29: PRESSURE=16.60 AHI=0.83 FLOW LIMITATIONS=0.0 MEDIAN LEAK RATE=0.0, 95%LEAK RATE=0.0
Oct.01: PRESSURE=16.48 AHI=0.44 FLOW LIMITATIONS=0.0 MEDIAN LEAK RATE=9.6, 95% LEAK RATE=15.60
(Yes, I was using the same hose and nasal-pillows on both nights.)
I care about such different leak rates because of the impact on airway dryness. NOTE: I am using an elaborate combination of tennis bands, chin-lift-strap, velcro straps, cervical collar, and Balaclava full face hood in order to prevent mouth leaks. (See attached photo. Despite the appearance, I am not an ISIS terrorist about to perform an execution.)
Can you help me understand scenarios which can explain such a big difference under similar therapeutic conditions?
Yet, sometimes I see a glaring exception which I am trying to understand. Two recent nights provide an example of such a contrast. Both had wonderful (and atypical for me) AHIs below 1.0 and low average pressures (and 0.0 flow limitations) yet significantly different Median and 95% leak rates:
Sep.29: PRESSURE=16.60 AHI=0.83 FLOW LIMITATIONS=0.0 MEDIAN LEAK RATE=0.0, 95%LEAK RATE=0.0
Oct.01: PRESSURE=16.48 AHI=0.44 FLOW LIMITATIONS=0.0 MEDIAN LEAK RATE=9.6, 95% LEAK RATE=15.60
(Yes, I was using the same hose and nasal-pillows on both nights.)
I care about such different leak rates because of the impact on airway dryness. NOTE: I am using an elaborate combination of tennis bands, chin-lift-strap, velcro straps, cervical collar, and Balaclava full face hood in order to prevent mouth leaks. (See attached photo. Despite the appearance, I am not an ISIS terrorist about to perform an execution.)
Can you help me understand scenarios which can explain such a big difference under similar therapeutic conditions?
