Screening Commercial Vehicle Drivers for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Tools, Barriers, and Recommendations.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disorder characterized by a cessation of breathing during sleep, leading to poor sleep patterns and daytime somnolence. Daytime somnolence is of particular concern for commercial vehicle drivers, whose crash risk increases 50% with untreated OSA. The process of diagnosing and treating OSA in commercial drivers begins with effective and consistent screening. Therefore, the researchers screened drivers with both the STOP-Bang Questionnaire and the Obstructive Sleep Apnea Evaluation Worksheet (OSAEW) and compared the two tools. Drivers screening positive on the STOP-Bang Questionnaire, OSAEW, and both questionnaires were 28%, 23%, and 13%, respectively. Sleep study referrals were made for 50 drivers; 12 drivers were scheduled for sleep tests within 3 months. Health care provider referral rates for drivers screening at high risk (37%) and commercial driver monitoring rates (24%) were both low. Recommendations to improve OSA screening and testing practices include Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration-mandated screening and referral guidelines, employee-facilitated sleep testing, and OSA awareness campaigns.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Evans, KA; Yap, T; Turner, B
Published Date
- October 2017
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 65 / 10
Start / End Page
- 487 - 492
PubMed ID
- 28414584
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 2165-0969
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 2165-0799
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1177/2165079917692597
Language
- eng