At The Wheel With Sleep Apnea!
Background: When a person has
obstructive sleep
apnea, they may stop breathing during their sleep for 10-30 seconds at a
time. And this can happen up to 400 times a night. Obstructive sleep
apnea deprives a person of restorative rest and they often feel sleepy
the next day. This lack of sleep can be very dangerous, especially if
the person falls asleep while at the wheel.
Study: Investigators found that "persons
with untreated sleep apnea perform as poorly on simulated steering and
psychomotor reaction time tests as legally intoxicated individuals."
They also noted that the prevalence of obstructed sleep apnea in drivers is
estimated at 3%, or 4.7 million drivers. A recent study of 1,391 commercial
truck drivers found that 28% had obstructive sleep apnea, with more than
one-third characterized as moderate to severe.
Comments: These are sobering numbers indeed.
Individuals with sleep apnea are urged to seek diagnosis and treatment, perhaps
with the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) while they sleep.
Another approach is to review current highway
regulations that allow commercial truck drivers to drive excessively
long and exhausting shifts.
It is bad enough when you are on the road
surrounded by drivers talking on their cell phones but it could be even
worse if they fall asleep behind the wheel while talking on the phone. But then
again, maybe the cell phones keep them awake.
Barbara K. Hecht,
Ph.D.
Frederick Hecht, M.D.
Medical Editors, MedicineNet.com
Related Links:
Sleep
Apnea Treatment Could Save Lives & Money
By Reducing Auto Accidents, According To Researchers
By Sue Pondrom
May 1, 2004 -- Each year, potentially 980
lives could be saved and $11.1 billion in automobile-accident costs could be
avoided if drivers who suffer from a disorder called obstructive sleep apnea
were successfully treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP),
according to a study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
School of Medicine.
Published in the May 2004 issue of the journal Sleep,
the study determined the percentage of accidents related to sleep apnea and
applied the success rate of treatment to conclude how many of these accidents
could potentially have been prevented.
The research team noted that 1,400 fatalities
each year are caused by sleep-deprived drivers with obstructive sleep apnea, a
breathing disorder caused by intermittent blockage of the airway. The condition
is a common problem affecting millions of Americans. During sleep, these
individuals stop breathing for 10 to 30 seconds at a time, sometimes up to 400
times a night. As a result of poor quality sleep, persons with sleep apnea
experience excessive daytime sleepiness which can lead to motor vehicle crashes.
The most common, effective treatment for
obstructive sleep apnea is CPAP, where a patient wears a mask over the nose
during sleep. Pressure from an air blower forces air through the nasal passages,
preventing the throat from collapsing while the individual sleeps.
However, most people with obstructive sleep
apnea don't realize they have the condition and don't get help.
In their study, the research team, which
included investigators from the U.S. and Canada, analyzed medical research data
from 1980 to 2003 to investigate the relationship between auto collisions and
obstructive sleep apnea in untreated individuals. Additional data from the
National Safety Council were used to estimate collisions related to obstructive
sleep apnea, plus costs and fatalities, and their reduction with treatment. A
final analysis included a determination of the annual cost of screening,
diagnosing and treating the disorder in drivers.
"Qualitatively, the scientific community has
known for approximately 20 years that sleep apnea increases the risk for
automobile crashes. This is the first study to quantify the impact of
obstructive sleep apnea on society, which is quite significant," noted the
study's primary author, Alex Sassani, M.D., a UCSD medical student when the
study was conducted and a current resident in UCSD's Department of Radiology.
"The consequences of untreated obstructive sleep apnea are great, both in
terms of monetary costs and lives disrupted. This is an enormous burden that
demands attention."
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