It appears that adjusting your own pressure might be illegal, at least in New York.


Here is the reason:


Only RT's or someone with a license is allowed to titrate (adjust pressure.)  Anyone without a license is practicing Respiratory Therapy without the appropriate licensing.  

Practicing Respiratory Therapy without a license is illegal in NY possibly other states too

Link to Article

Quote:

The New York State Board has also taken the position that
there shall be no exemption for Polysomnographic Techs
who are not licensed as Respiratory Therapists. Further, that
unlicensed persons may not administer oxygen, CPAP or bi-
level therapy regardless of the setting. The Board holds that
those workers in polysomnography who are administering
oxygen, and doing CPAP are in violation of Article 164 section
8501 of the NY State Education Law. The Board states that
these functions are within the scope of practice of respiratory
therapy, and cannot be lawfully provided by non-licensed
personnel.

So, if you are in NY, you *might* want to think twice before telling your physician, or anyone for that matter, that you are changing your own pressure.  If and when you do, you might be admitting to breaking the law.

If you are in another state, you might want to check to see if they have followed this ruling.

I dont' think we should change this becasue it is just as illegal as taking too many pain pills

I'm no lawyer (or doctor, or anything in the medical field) but it looks to me as if the wording and intent could apply only to other peoples' cpap treatment....not one's own cpap machine/treatment.  Just my opinion.

administer  dictionary definition: dispense, give

I think "administer" in the context of the quote about NY Respiratory Therapists would have to mean "administer" to someone else.

One might argue, "Well, there is such a thing as self-administration of meds, etc., so would that make pressure changing fall under being administered, even if self-administered?"   But then one could say that every cpap user in the world is "administering" cpap to himself/herself every time he/she puts the mask on and flips the machine on.   Since it's ok for us put our own masks on and turn on our own machines,  I don't see anything that forbids our also "titrating" our own pressure -- setting, changing, or adjusting our own pressure on our own machine...if we want to do that and know what hoops to jump through to get to the therapy setup menu on our machine.

Whether that's a smart or wise thing for some people to do is another matter.  And whether a person wants to consult their doctor about it first is another matter.  But, illegal to change one's own pressure?  The quote about a Respiratory Therpist requirement to administer cpap doesn't make me think that.


Likewise with:
functions ... provided by   dictionary definition of "provide":  supply, furnish

Again I'd think that would mean the function of administering cpap to someone else.


A similar "legality" topic (but not involving a requirement for RT license specifically) topic came up on another message board some time ago:

Jun 20, 2005   subject: cpap pressure setting

I agree that this seems to be in regards to providing CAP or O2 service to someone else.  I find it hard to believe that anyone can tell me I can't make an adjustment to a piece of equipment I have paid for.  Aside from that, there are other setting on my machine that don't need a technician to adjust and they are found in the same menu (sea level setting for example.  If I go to the coast, do I have to meet with my tech the day before to have him adjust it?  Of course not!)