Pls help - Getting conflicting info on Encore & Bipap S/

I am confused. This machine came with an EncorePro card. I ran the card ALL the way to the DME office last week to get it read and the RT told me the only thing on it is compliance info. Ugh!! I was SO disappointed.

I emailed cpap.com and I will quote them: "The software is intended for clinician use only and is not supported by us or the manufacturer. It provides you with the number of apneas, hypopneas, AHI and other clinical information."

If that is true, why in the "H" didn't the RT get the info off the card?

As you can tell, I am REALLY frustrated!! My hubby is STILL having "events" but we have NO way of knowing HOW many. He thinks that he is still having too many.

The more I think about it, the more I wonder... how in the world can anyone even use this therapy WITHOUT the benefit of the software system? I guess if you have a mild to moderate case you may be able to go on how you "feel", but my hubby can't. He has OSA, CA, Mixed & Cheyne-Stokes. He has a VERY complicated situation and waiting to "see how he does" after a month is NOT acceptable to us!

What IS a "normal" number of events? Obviously, it would be GREAT to have NONE, but I don't think that is realistic. I think the goal of this therapy is to minimize them, right?

I NEED the ability to monitor my hubby's therapy. I need a definitive answer from someone.

Will this machine give me what I need to monitor the intricacies or not?

If not, what machine should I get to give me the SAME features as the Bipap S/T AND the ability to monitor?

If I need to change machines (after almost 2 weeks on this one) will my hubby need a new RX from his doctor? We are renting it from DME.

I just asked him how he is feeling today before he walked out the door to go to work. (I am lucky to be off today.) He says that he feels OK, but not as good as he thought he would. Just the past few nights, right before he gets ready to go to bed he says, "going to bed now is such a hassle". I HATE it for him (and any of you guys/gals out there who feel the same way!)
I wish NONE of you had to go thru this. I wish there was an EASY way out, but there isn't.

As you can see, I am a solution oriented person. If I see a problem, I am like a pit-bull going after the BEST answer I can find to fit my situation.

PLEASE HELP ME!!

Thanks,
Lee

I hate to say it, but it is going to take time for your husband to adapt to the machine. He will probably need at least one more titration study. If he is as complicated as you are saying it is going to take time.

Complex Sleep Apnea is a very hard problem to fix. Using an Auto machine can be contributing to the effect as well. Central Apneas can and do get worse as the pressure goes up. There are times when a greater spread between Ipap and Epap can help, especially when in S/T mode. In some patients once you get rid of the obstructive component you start to see CSR. I hate it when that happens! S/T mode is only thing to fix that. It takes a lot of tweeking the setting by the technologist doing the titration to get things under control. Makes for a very long and frustrating night for every one, including the Tech.

By allowing him to adjust to the machine for a month or so before bringing him back for a second titration often helps alot and makes the titration much easier. It is very common for folks in your husbands position to "fight the pressure" for the first few weeks.

Hang in there! I know it is hard, but listen to your Doctors. It will get better.

Lee,

Why don't you check out this link (from the machine profile below your post).

https://www.cpap.com/productpage-advanced.php?PNum=1870

According to the info on that machine, it needs to use Encore Pro 1.5 (only).
I can't imagine that the newer versions wouldn't work.....but, who knows....
It could also be probable that the DME is "sufficiently lacking in knowledge" in this area. (Clueless)

I suppose it's POSSIBLE that your DME didn't have the 1.5 version.

I'm sure it's also possible that you could also get the card reader and software. (since it (v 1.5) was downloadable a year or so ago, I'm SURE that there's a copy of it floating around SOMEWHERE )

I've also wondered for the last two years how anybody can be successful with this therapy without the software and a machine that records the details.
AND, due to the complexity of your husband's situation, having the data readily available would be an absolute must.

Best wishes,

Den

babydoss wrote:I am confused. This machine came with an EncorePro card. I ran the card ALL the way to the DME office last week to get it read and the RT told me the only thing on it is compliance info. Ugh!! I was SO disappointed.

Did the RT actually download the card? Or did the RT's comment cause no download to be done at all?

If a download was actually done, ask the RT to go back into the download that is now stored on the computer at the DME, and ask him/her to do these things in Encore Pro (the Smart Card won't be needed to look at this):

1. doubleclick your husband's name in the list of patients' names.

2. doubleclick the date of the download in the Interaction List.

A window will pop up called "Report Options". One of the items in that window is "Full Details."

3. leftclick the words "Full Details" (for Type of Report.)

That will untick the word "Summary" and will put the tick mark into the circle before the words "Full Details."

Still looking at the "Report Options window", leave "All Data" ticked on the righthand side of the window. Leave whatever dates are showing in the "Start Date" and "End Date" as they are -- don't change them.

4. Click "ok" to close the "Report Options" window.

Wait while Encore Pro generates the report (the little Windows folders/flying paper thingy will be on the screen.) When that's finished, the "Report Viewer" window will pop up.

5. In the Report Viewer window, there's a little green down-arrow near the top of the page. Start leftclicking the green down-arrow (or use the PageDown key on the keyboard) to go down through all the pages of the Full Details report. Page 4 is where the juicy details begin...the "Sleep Therapy Daily Details" graph.

Important: When looking at the very first page that comes up in the Report Viewer, you can't use the scroll bar at the right side of the page (or the little "hand" symbol) to go to the next page. The scroll bar (and the hand) just takes you to the bottom of the page you're on. To get to the next pages in the report, you have to use the green down-arrow or PageDown key on the keyboard.

If those instructions don't work for the RT, ask what version of Encore Pro they are using.

Like Den, I can't imagine newer versions of Encore not working with that machine. But I can also imagine the DME still using Encore Pro 1.4, or maybe even 1.3 -- if they don't bother with doing downloads much.

Thanks, Jules. That's too bad. Ah well.

rested gal wrote:Thanks, Jules. That's too bad. Ah well.

Ditto.

Den

YVW RG and Wulfman.

I knew I had seen before one of these"fancy" Bipaps didn't give the same kind of output and went back and found it.

If the S/T is the new gray model, it may need the 1.6.22 or higher version of EncorePro, just like the M series machines. Then we all know that version sucks.

I think DSM's report he was trying to use the 1.57b version of EncorePro to read that machine (from Jules link).

Maybe EncorePro version 1.8 is needed for the gray model?

The Bipap S/T is usually their top of the line machine since the gray one replaced the Syncrony, you would think it would give all details.

Use of the so called smart cards to obtain reliable respiratory event data is questionanble as the data must be validated. If you (or spouse) are having continued problems with CPAP, then the standard practice would be to consult with your sleep specialist and have a full night CPAP Titration Study, if indicated.

Realize, that just because data is available on medical devices, they may use different ways to generate data that may or may not be a standard in care. Scoring Respiratory events is usually best done by a RPSGT and verified by a D, ABSM (registered polysomnographic technologist, Diplomate American Board of Sleep Medicine). Variability among manufacturer algorithms is quite common, and the so called results you see from a smart card need validation as they do not differentiate wake from sleep or many other variables taken into account during an actual sleep study (true event types).

Taking a shortcut to your healthcare will give you a greater chance for problems later on. Refer to the ABSM(American Board of Sleep Medicine) for certified sleep specialists in your area.

Snoredog wrote:
The Bipap S/T is usually their top of the line machine since the gray one replaced the Syncrony, you would think it would give all details.

Synchrony is still on the market and hasn't been discontinued by Respironics: http://bipap.respironics.com/

BiPAP, especially BiPAP ST, are use for many other respiratory disorders besides SDB, where 'AHI' doesn't apply.