If a patient's apneas are fixed at 10cm but hypopneas and snoring still occur at 16cm, what levels of BiLevel should be used?

The correct choice of IPAP (Inspiratory Positive Airway Pressure) and EPAP (Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure) is designed to effectively manage a patient's condition, particularly in the context of apnea, hypopnea, and associated snoring.

In this case, considering that the apneas have been fixed at 10 cm of water pressure, a suitably higher level of IPAP is required to mitigate the hypopneas and snoring, which occur at 16 cm. An IPAP setting of 14 cm provides sufficient pressure to address these issues while still being close to the optimal pressure for the fixed apneic events.

The accompanying EPAP of 10 cm helps to maintain airway patency by providing a baseline pressure during expiration. This pressure is critical in preventing airway collapse, thus reducing the likelihood of hypopneas and snoring.

Therefore, having an IPAP of 14 cm and an EPAP of 10 cm effectively balances the need to treat both the fixed apneas and the symptoms of hypopnea and snoring, making it the most appropriate choice in managing the patient's respiratory support needs.