Would someone please explain my data?  My doctor says my REM sleep is getting interrupted because of sleep apnea, but my insurance company says it's not scientifically supported.  My report is:

Obstructive Apneas 0
Central Aneas 0
Obstructive hypopneas 12, 23.7 sec/ 39.6 sec
Central Hypopneas 0
AHI 3.3
Total Respiratory Events 60
RDI (RAI) 16.5
Lowest SAO2 90%
Sleep Efficiency 55.2%
Sleep Maintenance Efficiency 56.1%
Sleep Latency 6.5 Min

There are more numbers, but I think those are the highlights.  I might add that I have been using a CPAP for years, but this was a new study so that I could get new parts for a broken machine.  The doctor approved a new machine, and now the insurance company says it's not necessary.

Can any of the sleep gurus on board give me a feel for all of this?  I know it's not severe, but is treatment necessary?

....



Last edited by another_guest on Tue Oct 31, 2006 8:39 pm; edited 1 time in total

I would have another sleep study done and do all that you can to sleep on your back. Another little trick is to restrict your sleep for 2-3 days before the sleep study that way you should hit some REM rebound also making your AHI a little bit higher. What your doctor is referring to is that your sleep is being disrupted by RERAS during REM sleep, however there is not enough criteria to call these true hypopneas. A RERAS is a Respiratory Effort Related Arousal Syndrome. You are having to increase your breathing effort and it is causing arousals. This can be as equally disabilitating as hyponeas and apneas as it is interrupting your sleep, however the bean counters at the insurance company don't understand this. They are usually willing to accept an over all AHI of 5 as long as there is an indication of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS). The other question that I have is how long have you had the CPAP unit and what numbers did you have at that time to originally qualify you for the CPAP device? And can they be used again. I have seen patients come in for CPAP with studies that are 5 years old and get qualified. Again personally I think a sleep study is good for at maximum 1 year, but when you have to play the numbers game with the insurers to get what you need ALL is fair.


_________________
Iain Boyle MS, MLT(CSMLS), RPSGT

Hmmm--I did have another sleep study, to titrate with the CPAP, and the numbers were better, according to the doc, although they didn't give them to me.  I got a much longer sleep period (didn't sleep much at all on the first test), because I did the things you recommended.  On the first study I got called to fill in a cancellation.  I was eating watermelon at the time, and the room was ice cold!   

I'll ask for the other numbers...