Very, very High Altitude and the CPAP Machine setting
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From: Bubba on 13 Apr 2008 07:48 In article <4801cb67(a)qaanaaq>, andyh(a)hall.nospam says... You could get an autoPAP; it will compensate for the effects of altitude on sleep apnea. As long as you don't exceed the pressure generating capabilities of the machine, it should compensate for any habitable altitude.
From: Andy Hall on 13 Apr 2008 08:14 On 2008-04-13 12:48:06 +0100, Bubba <bubba(a)example.com> said: > In article <4801cb67(a)qaanaaq>, andyh(a)hall.nospam says... > > You could get an autoPAP; it will compensate for the effects of altitude > on sleep apnea. As long as you don't exceed the pressure generating > capabilities of the machine, it should compensate for any habitable > altitude. As far as I know these all have altitude compensation. However some models are only good to a certain altitude. (e.g. PB 420E -2500m). Moral of the story is to check specs carefully.
From: Bubba on 13 Apr 2008 17:05 In article <4801f919(a)qaanaaq>, andyh(a)hall.nospam says... > As far as I know these all have altitude compensation. However some > models are only good to a certain altitude. (e.g. PB 420E -2500m). The PB 420's are a bit light in their pressure generating capability, and I think that some of the other "travel" CPAPs may also have the same problem. I have a 420E and a 420G that stay in the closet.
From: David Ruether on 14 Apr 2008 18:44 "Andy Hall" <andyh(a)hall.nospam> wrote in message news:4801cb67(a)qaanaaq... > On 2008-04-12 16:15:38 +0100, "David Ruether" <druether(a)twcny.rr.com> said: >> "Bubba" <bubba(a)example.com> wrote in message news:MPG.22699cef8691f322989695(a)news.east.cox.net... >>> In article <2LALj.47011$f8.7455(a)newsfe23.lga>, nospam(a)nospam.com says... >>> There is an article on it at >>> http://www.chestjournal.org/cgi/reprint/108/6/1577 >> WOW! Thanks - this is a real "eye-opener", and maybe >> an "airway-opener" too! Now I wonder why the manual >> altitude compensation adjustment that was on my earlier >> Respironics machine was removed from the later version >> (that one didn't do very well with increased altitude - no >> wonder I felt "wiped out" on my last trip, above 11,000'!). >> --DR > That article is 1995 vintage but physics doesn't change in this sense. > > Older machines didn't have pressure sensors and just crude motor controls, with the altitude contro allowing some adjustment. > > It's rather odd that there are still machines on the market, especially small ones positioned for travel purposes, that don't have > automatic altitude compensation. Even some of the cheap ones do. > For example, the GoodKnight 420G ($219 from cpap.com) does, as does the AEIOmed Everest ($259), while the Zzz-PAP ($210) only has > manual adjustment. > > Bizarrely, the ResMed S8 Escape ($420) only has manual adjustment and it seems that from Respironics you have to buy the M series > Pro ($669) vs. the Plus ($579) to get altitude compensation. Mine is now the Respironics REMStar Pro - I don't know if it has automatic altitude adjustment, or not... > I wonder whether your altitude effect might also have been due in part to lower oxygen aborption. Keep in mind that even > aircraft cabins are only pressurised to the equivalent of 2500m and you were at 3300m. Aircraft deploy oxygen masks at 4300m for > example. Yes - but I had been in many of the same locations the year before without such "desperate" problems (I felt at times that I could not take another step). I was out of shape and heavy (as I was the year before), but I also had edema, which didn't help (little orange pills have helped since then, but have not removed the problem...). Stairs aren't quite such a challenge as they were, but I used to find them easy, not very long ago (and, hard to believe now, but [LONG ago!] I walked down to the river in Grand Canyon [and back up to the rim, in 6 1/2 hours.....], and climbed to the top of the 2500' high Yosemite Falls, but I will not be doing either again!). It would be nice now to walk on nearly level ground half a mile or so - though, of course, the altitude contributed to my problems on that last trip (photos from the trip before that one are at -- http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/rpn1). --DR
From: Bubba on 16 Apr 2008 19:30
In article <4803de5d$0$3387$4c368faf(a)roadrunner.com>, druether(a)twcny.rr.com says... > Mine is now the Respironics REMStar Pro - I don't know if it > has automatic altitude adjustment, or not... > If it is the REMStar Pro M-Series, REMstar Pro with C-Flex, or REMstar Pro 2 C-Flex it has auto altitude adjustment. |