The CPAP machine helps to treat obstructive sleep apnea. Patients with obstruct sleep apnea have their airways collapse while they are sleeping, temporarily cutting off their oxygen supply. This causes the patients to partially wake up, disturbing their sleep. A CPAP machine keeps the airway open by pumping a steady supply of air into the airway, keeping it open. This machine is designed so that it is difficult for patients to adjust many of the settings unless they are able to access the setup menu for the machine.
Step 1
Change the altitude and ramp settings. Most CPAP machines allow patients to change some of the settings in the CPAP while in patient mode. The Respironics website has the user manual for the Remstar M Series machine, which allows patients to adjust the altitude settings and the rate at which the pressure ramps up. These settings can be adjusted by pressing the right arrow button until the altitude adjustment or ramp menu appears (one push for the altitude adjustment, two for the ramp settings). From there, the patient can adjust the machine for different altitudes (low, normal and high) or change how rapidly the machine pumps maximum pressure.
Step 2
Enter the machine's clinician/setup mode. This is a special "hidden" mode that allows users to change all of the settings within the machine, such as the maximum pressure that the machine provides and calibration of the machine. Clinician mode can be accessed by pushing a specific combination of buttons or by pressing a hidden button. Because each machine is different, ApneaBoard.com has published the instructions for accessing clinician or setup mode for many commonly used CPAP machines. Remstar M series machines, for example, require the patient to hold the right and left arrow buttons for several seconds while simultaneously plugging the machine into a wall socket. The Fisher & Paykel HC 220 model, on the other hand, has a dial that is hidden next to the power button that allows patients to adjust the pressure settings.
Step 3
Scroll through the setup mode and adjust the settings to meet your preferences. To adjust the pressure in a Remstar machine, for example, access clinician mode and then press the plus button two times to access setup mode. Then, press the right arrow to get to the pressure menu. The maximum pressure provided by the CPAP machine can then be adjusted by pressing the plus and minus buttons. Because each machine has a different setup, check the clinican manuals provided by ApneaBoard to learn how to change each machine's settings.
