Description:

The correlation between OSA and motor vehicle accidents or work injuries is confirmed in several studies. Motor vehicle crashes are more frequent in untreated patients, and they’re usually associated with more severe injuries. Regular CPAP treatment relieves excessive daytime sleepiness and reduces the crash risk. However, it is a matter of discussion (15) if the driving risk in OSA is more closely related to the degree of daytime sleepiness, objective severity of sleep-disordered breathing, or to the presence of concomitant behavioral factors, like sleep restriction and work schedules.

Learning Objectives:

• Prevalence of sleepiness at wheel or sleepiness at work in patients with OSA and comparison with general population

• Determinants of sleepiness at wheel, sleepiness at work, and determinant of accidents in patients with OSA

• How to assess individual risk of accidents