Monitoring oxigen saturation and pulse

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Alex123

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128
Reason
PALS
Diagnosis
05/2014
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US
State
California
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Los Angeles
I have a pulse oximeter but it does not record the readings.
I have seen pulse oximeters at a moderate price that do make a recording and the data can be transferred to the computer or even fed continuously.
But what those don't seem to have is some alarm when the oxygen saturation gets too low.
Have you had any experience with this or found some possibly useful device?
 
If you attach a compatible oximeter to your supported BiPAP, you can set a low O2 alarm.
 
I 've got my one with a record function, where it is possible to record my oxidimeter values during the night.
They say that you really can use this values instead of the actual measured one during daytime.
And indeed my O2 % was during the night 2% less then during daytime.
But you can also see if there are low levels because of snoring.

Udo
 
If you attach a compatible oximeter to your supported BiPAP, you can set a low O2 alarm.

I was looking at the instructions of my BiPAP and it doesn't look like it works in combination with a pulse oximeter. My BiPAP is a System One from Respironics.
Also I would like to be able to use it even if I am not using the BiPAP. Thanks Igelb.
 
I 've got my one with a record function, where it is possible to record my oxidimeter values during the night.
They say that you really can use this values instead of the actual measured one during daytime.
And indeed my O2 % was during the night 2% less then during daytime.
But you can also see if there are low levels because of snoring.
Udo

Hi Udo,
The one I was thinking of buying is the CMS 50D+. I already had a sleep study done and they say my oxygen saturation drops some times to a minimum of 85. During the day I have between 96 and 98.
In my case I don't thing snoring is the cause. I do feel some shortness of breath that may be due to my lungs not working well. But I also suspect some times my brain may forget to send the signal to my lungs to breath. They didn't see that during the study, but It has happened to me that I woke up and I was not breathing even there was no obstruction.
Thanks Udo,
Alex
 
Hi Alex,
It is entirely possible that your brain is behind your apnea. As you correctly guessed, the respiratory center in the brain stem can overdo the usual slowing of rate and depth when you fall asleep--shutting off or way down instead of just easing back. With this type of apnea, Central Apnea, you are more likely to awake suddenly with a pounding heart and panic.
 
Following on from Diane's post, not sure which kind of BiPAP you have (System One has several flavors) but you should have one that is backup rate capable, and set one, if there is any suspicion of central apneas.
 
Thanks Diane and Igelb.
Even I do have suspicion that have central apnea, that may not happen too often. It may just be occasional isolated episodes.
If I eventually get to the conclusion that I do have that, then I would try to convince the doctors to prescribe that more specialized BiPAP.
On the other hand, I suspect that besides some weakness in the respiratory muscles and some diminished volume of my lungs, there may be some problem in the exchange of gases in the alveoli due to increased viscosity of the mucus. But that is just my speculation.
About the monitoring. Today I was looking at the reviews of several models of pulse oximeters and found that the cms-50E does have an alarm that can be set to at different levels of oxygen saturation. I thought that this model will work for me and I bought it through Amazon. Let's see how it works when I get it. EVen it will not work connected to the BiPAP, If I start the BiPAP and the pulse oximeter at the same time, I can later load the data on the computer and see it combined using the Sleepyhead software. My first use of the pulse oximeter will be while sleeping without BiPAP
Thanks again,
Alex
 
The problem is more linked to CO2 than O2.

If you O2 is down, your CO2 is likely up, and your body will eventually be fooled into thinking it's normal and not try to stimulate you to take deeper breaths.

I would advise that go for the bpap Laurie is suggesting now. Why not have one that will do all you will need from the start?
 
The problem is more linked to CO2 than O2.
If you O2 is down, your CO2 is likely up, and your body will eventually be fooled into thinking it's normal and not try to stimulate you to take deeper breaths.
I would advise that go for the bpap Laurie is suggesting now. Why not have one that will do all you will need from the start?

I know that CO2 can be more of a problem, but I don't understand your reasoning that high CO2 can inhibit taking deeper breaths. Also, as far as I know, there is no way to monitor CO2 without extracting blood. If there was a way to monitor CO2, I would go for that.
I agree with you about your suggestion on the BiPAP. The problem is that my health insurance company doesn't think that way and it is hard to convince them.
 
There are portable capnograph/oximeter combos EMTs use but obviously pricey. I'm not sure of the point of your matching up the sats in Sleepyhead as you would want to eradicate the apneas anyway (that you will see in the SH BiPAP data) but you've ordered it, so... The same logic applies to capnography so I wouldn't waste your funds. But in re the backup rate feature, can you not ask your DME to swap out the unit? They usually specify the model anyway, apart from the script. If you like the System One line, any of the AVAPS units have backup rates, and volume control is nice, too.
 
There are portable capnograph/oximeter combos EMTs use but obviously pricey. I'm not sure of the point of your matching up the sats in Sleepyhead as you would want to eradicate the apneas anyway (that you will see in the SH BiPAP data) but you've ordered it, so... The same logic applies to capnography so I wouldn't waste your funds. But in re the backup rate feature, can you not ask your DME to swap out the unit? They usually specify the model anyway, apart from the script. If you like the System One line, any of the AVAPS units have backup rates, and volume control is nice, too.

I didn't know about capnographs, but I just read that they monitor CO2 in the air you breath. But the problem with CO2 that ALS patients have is when it accumulates in the blood. So besides as you said being expensive, I doubt it would be useful.
It is true that I want to eradicate apneas or hypopneas, but I also want to understand how much of a problem I have before I get to use the BiPAP all night. I am not experiencing most of the symtoms that most people who are prescribed a BiPAP describe.
In February I'll be going to the ALS clinic, so when I go I'll ask them about the unit with backup rate. But I doubt they'll prescribe it as the sleep study says I have obstructive hypopnea. I thing the obstructive part they got wrong because I don't even snore and they didn't even know that I had ALS, in which central apnea is more frequent. They (the sleep study people) are very disorganized.
 
Certainly capnography is flawed irt ALS, but was just literally answering your question. We agree that it's not going to be helpful for you.

As for a BiPAP w/ backup rate, why not just bring/send your ALS record to the sleep clinic and they can add it to your chart? But as for symptoms, that's not a reliable guide. Many people w/w/o ALS have obstructions (and as you know, hypopnea is a milder manifestation of OSA than apnea, since some rather than no airflow is occurring). The machine is the machine -- not knowing you have ALS wouldn't matter at all. Nor would whether you snore or not. Airflow is airflow.

If you had centrals, they would have been scored. PALS can have central, obstructive or mixed apnea as the disease moves through different phases, not everyone loses the same thoracic/bulbar musculature at all, drugs have an influence, etc.

So I was suggesting a backup rate based more on your perceptions, and many PALS set one anyway, not the sleep study (which are always the rear view mirror anyway). To continue my poor automotive metaphors, I'm saying, if you're worried about safety, get a top-rated SUV. If your breathing never varies on a pressure control mode, neither VAPS nor the backup rate will ever kick in, and you'll just stay at your minimum breath-to-breath settings.
 
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Alex I did answer your post the other day, but my answer got removed sorry
 
How strange Tillie that your answer got removed. Did you get a message explaining why?
 
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