Biguglygremlin

I hadn't really expected to be allowed to take my decrepit old S9 machine into hospital Sierra.

It would be too much of an embarrassment anyway in it's present condition!

However I have had multiple episodes of encephalitis and a couple of bouts of pneumonia since I have been on CPAP, and stayed home each time, so I know how zoned out I can get when I am really sick and that there is a potential of becoming dependent on my wife and other family members.

There is also the possibility that my wife may become sick with this or some other respiratory illness and benefit from temporary breathing assistance because I know that she would be very reluctant to go to hospital while ever it could be avoided. (Don't try this at home folks!)

So it seems to me that a nice shiny new full face mask, as much as I dread the concept, might be a good investment in the long run if it is more versatile?

This looks heavier and more limiting and not as well sealed as the enclosures I saw but it is a similar concept.

COVID 19 Protection Enclosure

There are some small bubbles out there too but they look a bit scary.

So as your research implies, it seems like there might be new ways to use CPAP machines safely in a hospital environment even with an infectious disease.

You are very adept at research Sierra.

I've been wondering what practical solutions would negate the perceived risk of using CPAP machines in a hospital environment and then I saw a news flash to a nice shiny new hospital someplace with the patients under a simple lightweight frame covered in clear plastic that started behind the patient and rested on the bed along the sides then curved across the patients waist.

It was such a simple idea but it enabled the patient to have free use of arms and see and talk yet it controlled the air that was being expelled from what seemed to be standard CPAP masks.

Inside those small tents the patients were hooked up to what looked very much like CPAP machines. I can't be certain but it seemed to be such a simple yet effective system.

The hose can be annoying.

I have RBD and need to be able to move around extensively during the night so I use a cheap hose holder like those in the following images link. The one I chose just tucks under the mattress and holds the hose above my head. I think it cost me around $10 including postage.

CPAP Hose Holder Images

Hi Lauriebaby2001

You sound like you have a difficult job on your hands.

How serious is his Apnea?

I presume that the equipment is all working correctly?

Is it possible that an adjustment of some sort or an increase in pressure would make him feel better about it?

Sometimes something simple like turning off the ramp function can make quite a difference.

Beyond the technicalities I suspect that it might come down to prompts and incentives and a whole field of strategies that you may be the only one capable of finding a way through.

Does he have peers or mentors who could be encouraged to put a positive spin on it for him?

I really don't think there is an opportunity for containment of this particular virus.

I think that any country prepared to destroy itself economically and in many other ways can delay the process and buy time but unless that country remains locked down forever it will eventually be impacted.

This virus is just too effective at stealth and contagion so until we have a tried and proven treatment and immunisation it will continue to infect and re-infect communities.

When it first surfaced I thought this virus was the ideal one to use as a practice session for when the real thing (a more dangerous one) comes along.

Unfortunately I don't think it has been handled that well and it's hard to believe that we will learn the right lessons from this experience.

Which brings me back to my original question. Which mask would be most effective if others had to maintain it on my behalf?

Hi Oggi,

Yes please keep an eye here because although I might not have much helpful advice others most likely will.

You probably need to let them know what mask you are using.

I think in general that all this gear is totally unnatural and we all respond differently but most find it acutely uncomfortable once they get past the initial days of desperation at least for a while.

If you can't find any hardware or settings to adjust it is most likely that you will need to adapt and adjust your viewpoint and expectations.

Essentially learn to accept and ignore.

In my personal experience nasal pillows are brilliant when they are working properly but they don't work properly if they are not adjusted and aligned and directed properly and that is not always easy to do even if the nasal passages are relatively clear.

My suggestion to you would be to experiment with the strap tensions and positioning and the alignment of the actual pillows until you sense a clear flow of air.

You might also consider experimenting with antihistamines and/or nasal sprays.

Hi KennyAZ

Sierra will know what to do with the settings but sometimes other issues can be involved.

A few years back I spend time in a caravan that we had stripped out ready to insulate and reline. It was freezing outside and there was only a thin layer of metal sheeting between us and the cold.

I found that the humidifier and climate control functioned better if I turned the CPAP machine so that it was not sucking in the cold air sliding down the outside wall.

I'm at a considerable disadvantage when it comes to watching current events because, as much as I do love charts and graphs and statistics, I love them BECAUSE they are so adaptable and dishonest and so much fun to play with.

Our criteria for testing is much the same as most countries. We are only supposed to be testing those who are really sick, with the full range of symptoms and even then only if they are already in hospital. Any other tests were initially used on incoming travellers to place the blame on other countries and on medical workers to protect them and to prevent spread in vital areas.

If someone is ill at home with all the COVID19 symptoms they are not tested and they are discouraged from presenting at the hospitals. In UK for quite some time those who died at home, even if it was from the virus, were not counted. Similar methods might well apply to other countries.

Then there is the fact that even those tests that are done and show as negative are generally somewhere from 40% to 80% inaccurate and presumably that would also impact on the supposed cause of death.

I guess my point is that as with all things human, especially when politics becomes involved, everybody has an agenda which distorts the data so we can never know what is really happening at any given time.

I waited and watched to see if the other side of the equation would be released, the demographics for all the negative results, because it would tell us where the major omissions were and give some credence to the the positive data, but in the few instances where my wife stumbled across data, and sent me the link, it was redacted before I could even open it.

I suppose in retrospect that, once the virus is loose in the general population, the only number that really matters is the number of deaths, but only in comparison to the total number of deaths from all causes compared to the average number of deaths for the same period in previous years.

A simple example of this method is that apparently in New York the number of persons dying at home has increased from 20 to 200 per day and presumably the majority of those extra 180 deaths are COVID19 related although they are probably not being counted as such.

I looked into this option and figured that I could set something up for around $100 but it would only last for a few hours of continuous use. The next level up would cost around $800 and last for a few days. Those figures are using a combination of medical and industrial equipment.

I doubt that I will do anything in the near future and I don't think it is advisable to recommend this approach to CPAP users in general.