90% pressure level

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jbgilm
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90% pressure level

Post by jbgilm » Fri Mar 23, 2018 4:10 pm

If my cpap tells me that the 90% pressure level is the same as the maximum pressure, it seems that the maximum pressure should be higher. Is that true? Is there any guideline for the proper relationship between the 90% pressure reading and the max? Thanks. This website is very helpful!

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MamaGord
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Re: 90% pressure level

Post by MamaGord » Fri Mar 23, 2018 4:14 pm

I am also curious about this. My max pressure is 12 and my 90% the last two nights had been right under 12.
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Using CPAP since 3.21.18 pressure 12.5-18

jbgilm
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Re: 90% pressure level

Post by jbgilm » Fri Mar 23, 2018 4:16 pm

Following up on this I read elsewhere on the interweb the following:

"Most people strive to set their "APAP" (not CPAP) pressures to 2-4 cm's below the 90% and 2 or 3 above the 90% in order to accommodate the unknowns."

I don't understand that. Can someone explain?

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Okie bipap
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Re: 90% pressure level

Post by Okie bipap » Fri Mar 23, 2018 4:37 pm

The 90% value is the point where your pressure was that value or less for 90% of the time. You need to look at sleepyhead to see how much of your time you were bumping up against the upper limit. If it is only a few minutes a night, then leave it where it is. If you are bumping up against the upper limit a lot of the night, then you probably need to raise the upper limit. You can leave the upper limit set to the highest possible value, and the machine will not go any higher than it need to. My upper limit is set to 25, but my pressure seldom exceeds 16 cm pressure.

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palerider
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Re: 90% pressure level

Post by palerider » Fri Mar 23, 2018 5:44 pm

jbgilm wrote:
Fri Mar 23, 2018 4:16 pm
Following up on this I read elsewhere on the interweb the following:

"Most people strive to set their "APAP" (not CPAP) pressures to 2-4 cm's below the 90% and 2 or 3 above the 90% in order to accommodate the unknowns."

I don't understand that. Can someone explain?
Only the clueless ones.

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palerider
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Re: 90% pressure level

Post by palerider » Fri Mar 23, 2018 5:46 pm

jbgilm wrote:
Fri Mar 23, 2018 4:10 pm
If my cpap tells me that the 90% pressure level is the same as the maximum pressure, it seems that the maximum pressure should be higher. Is that true?
No, that's not true.
jbgilm wrote:
Fri Mar 23, 2018 4:10 pm
Is there any guideline for the proper relationship between the 90% pressure reading and the max?
Read this:
http://adventures-in-hosehead-land.blog ... de-to.html

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D.H.
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Re: 90% pressure level

Post by D.H. » Fri Mar 23, 2018 6:19 pm

To the OP,

Is the 90% the same as the max setting (or "ceiling")? If that's the case, it can't go any higher! That would mean that you're spending at least 10% of the time at max. If that's correct, try raising the ceiling and see what happens.

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Julie
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Re: 90% pressure level

Post by Julie » Fri Mar 23, 2018 6:34 pm

.
Last edited by Julie on Fri Mar 23, 2018 10:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

TedVPAP
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Re: 90% pressure level

Post by TedVPAP » Fri Mar 23, 2018 9:10 pm

jbgilm wrote:
Fri Mar 23, 2018 4:16 pm
Following up on this I read elsewhere on the interweb the following:

"Most people strive to set their "APAP" (not CPAP) pressures to 2-4 cm's below the 90% and 2 or 3 above the 90% in order to accommodate the unknowns."

I don't understand that. Can someone explain?
Yes this is good general advice. Certainly not perfect advice for everyone. It is best to review your data and make changes.
As others have said, the 90% pressure is the pressure that you were at or less 90% of the time. That means that 10% of the time you were above. When setting an APAP, set the minimum below this value. Some are able to set the minimum limit to much less, but others do better when they set the minimum closer to where the need is. When I set my minimum limit too low, the pressure can settle too low at times and can not increase fast enough to prevent many of my events. My min setting is about 2 cm less than the 90% pressure.

Setting the maximum level above the 90% pressure enables the machine to go higher when needed. Unless you have a good reason to limit the maximum pressure, set it higher than needed.

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RogerSC
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Re: 90% pressure level

Post by RogerSC » Sat Mar 24, 2018 11:07 am

TedVPAP wrote:
Fri Mar 23, 2018 9:10 pm
jbgilm wrote:
Fri Mar 23, 2018 4:16 pm
Following up on this I read elsewhere on the interweb the following:

"Most people strive to set their "APAP" (not CPAP) pressures to 2-4 cm's below the 90% and 2 or 3 above the 90% in order to accommodate the unknowns."

I don't understand that. Can someone explain?
Yes this is good general advice. Certainly not perfect advice for everyone. It is best to review your data and make changes.
As others have said, the 90% pressure is the pressure that you were at or less 90% of the time. That means that 10% of the time you were above. When setting an APAP, set the minimum below this value. Some are able to set the minimum limit to much less, but others do better when they set the minimum closer to where the need is. When I set my minimum limit too low, the pressure can settle too low at times and can not increase fast enough to prevent many of my events. My min setting is about 2 cm less than the 90% pressure.

Setting the maximum level above the 90% pressure enables the machine to go higher when needed. Unless you have a good reason to limit the maximum pressure, set it higher than needed.
That's a starting point...ideally, as you go along you should be looking at your data, and tuning your pressure range to optimize things if you feel that your therapy could be better. Sometimes raising your minimum pressure can help to make your therapy work better, so that the machine doesn't take too much time to get up to the pressure needed to block an apnea episode. Or raising your top pressure if you see your pressure hanging out at the top limit too much. And so on. But doing this depends on your monitoring your sleep data, and asking questions as you develop a feel for what changing various parameters on your machine does.

Your needs can change over time, and you can accommodate that by tracking your sleep data. Rather than just setting an arbitrary range at the beginning and calling it a day *smile*.

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Re: 90% pressure level

Post by ajack » Sun Mar 25, 2018 10:18 pm

jbgilm wrote:
Fri Mar 23, 2018 4:10 pm
If my cpap tells me that the 90% pressure level is the same as the maximum pressure, it seems that the maximum pressure should be higher. Is that true? Is there any guideline for the proper relationship between the 90% pressure reading and the max? Thanks. This website is very helpful!
if the 90% and max is the same, you need to raise the max pressure. You are needing more max pressure, to give the machine room to move.
If you go 1 or 2 below and 2 above the 90-95% number, you will be in the ball park. It works for most people, 90/95% is the number they use to set a fixed pressure when auto titrating. Put up some sleepyhead charts for fine tuning, if you wish to.

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D.H.
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Re: 90% pressure level

Post by D.H. » Mon Mar 26, 2018 1:37 pm

Actually, I have my max at 20, which is the capacity. It has never gone above 17, so I guess 17 would behave the same as 20 in my case.

I would try setting the therapy max to the machine max. If you experience an increase in "clear airway" events, increased dryness of the sinuses, pain/discomfort from the increased pressure, or increased restlessness/awakenings, then you would want to back down.

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