advice needed,bipap machine

tronlegacy

hope this is in right place. My teenager who has severe cp has just gotten a bipap machine with full face mask,problem is the bridge of the nose has a cut and is getting sore with the face mask.Just wondered if anyone has had the same problem and what they used to overcome it.
thank you in advance:)

rogerblack

You mean there are sharp edges on the mask - or that there is a cut on their nose?
Cushioned Plaster?

tronlegacy

sorry,should have been clearer.The cut is actually on the bridge of his nose and he has an allergy to plasters.I was told if his nose got sore i had not to put anything padded on it as it would affect the fit of the mask.
Hospital said to phone and they would post something out but i have been trying to think of something that would be very thin but also padded that i could use in the meantime.
Thought maybe someone had come across this problem themselves but had found a solution even if it was just short term.
thanks for the suggestion though.:)

jenhug

small piece of cotton wool makeup pad and use micropore tape?

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I've got a CPAP and found that when I get a new mask, after a couple of days, it loosens up a bit and the gel pads get a bit softer, so it may stop irritating his cut soon. Perhaps see if the straps need adjusting as well - they will change as the gel/silicon edging moves - and if your DS has the one where the dial winds a central piece closer or further out from his face to change the angle, try adjusting it a couple of clicks.

You could have altered it when cleaning it, or it could just be normal change.



Other than that, if it's really bad, try new skin (which stings on open grazes and cuts, but works for sealing areas) or a tiny bit of gauze.



I found that my lung unit were far more ready to consider changing masks if someone encountered difficulties. I've had a different one every year so far, and there are tons of them - if you search online, you can see just how many are there, and perhaps there is one more suited to him there that the hospital also keeps?


(to give an idea, I've had the Resmed Quattro, Mirage, Ultra and Micro. Now using the Liberty)

tronlegacy

Thank you for the ideas and tightfisted thank you for the advice.the mask we have just now is the mirage quattro.I have tried adjusting the mask but ive only just managed to get it so we not having leaks(only had machine one week).I m sure it will take some time to get used to it all.I will try altering the dial bit tonight and see how we get on.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

The Quattro was the most uncomfortable mask of all, but it tends to be the one that they start everyone off with, as it's so full face. If it's not helping/is uncomfortable (it's also the one the gives most markings on the face in the morning), they can easily change it for a different one - one that has gel pads rather than solely relying on the silicon skirt thing filling with air, for example. At most, you'll get an additional length of hosing about eighteen inches long and an adapter to add onto the pipe if you need to get him a different mask. But a week is a short time, so it could all sort itself out soon.


If he prefers to move around a bit at night (I don't know how his mobility is effected by ?cerebral palsy?), it's quite difficult to lay on your side with that one as well. Apparently you can get CPAP pillows where there is a cutout for the bit the mask and hose take up, but they aren't as useful, IMO, as having a smaller mask in the first place. The Quattro is also the one where, when I've inadvertantly pulled the hose out or the cat has stood on the switch and turned it off/had a power outage on the street, the most panicky one to have to get off in a hurry and it isn't designed to let enough air in without the pressure.


Hope I'm not scaring you, maybe your son's machine has an alarm to let you know if something is wrong, they're just things I have found over the past few years.


Oh, and if you haven't, contact the electricity supplier to say that he relies on it, as that makes your home a priority for having electricity supplies restored in a power cut.


Hope that helps a bit more!


Jo

tronlegacy

thank you for all your advice.Its good to have some insight from someone who has had experience with this type of thing.
My sons machine has an alarm for leaks and power outtage.Docs did try other masks during hospital stay but the quattro was the one that seemed to work best.Phoned hospital today and they told me to get Hydrocoll thin dressing,hopefully it just needs time to settle.
thanks again