Elevated Risk of Sleepiness-Related Motor Vehicle Accidents in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: A Case-Control Study

The present case-control study aimed to determine whether obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients are at an increased risk for sleepiness-related motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) than controls and to identify disease-related factors associated with accident risk. Demographic, anthropometric, clinical, and polysomnographic parameters of 312 OSAS patients were compared with 156 age- and sex-matched primary snoring subjects. The rate of OSAS patients reporting accident was higher than snoring subjects (21.2% vs. 11.5%, P = .011), and OSAS was associated with an increase in accident risk (odds ratio = 2.06, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17 to 3.61, P = .012). Younger OSAS patients (P = .001) and those who were male (P = .001), had greater neck circumference (P = .002), had a higher Epworth sleepiness score (ESS; P < .0001), and had a higher apnea–hypopnea index (AHI; p = .039) had more MVAs than OSAS patients. Daytime sleepiness was associated with a 2.74-fold increase (95% CI, 1.54 to 4.87, P = .001) in accident risk. In multiple logistic regression analysis, accident risk was associated with neck circumference (P < .031) and ESS (P < .0001). In addition, accident risk could be excluded in OSAS patients with neck circumference < 43 cm and ESS < 11 (sensitivity 33.3%, specificity 85.8%). The present results show that OSAS patients have a twofold higher risk of traffic accidents than control subjects, and increased neck circumference and excessive daytime sleepiness are useful in predicting OSAS patients at higher risk of having accidents.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1080/15389588.2013.830213
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/49192340
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of Taylor & Francis.
• Authors:
  • Basoglu, Ozen K
  • Tasbakan, Mehmet Sezai
• Publication Date: 2014-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 470-476
• Serial:
  • Traffic Injury Prevention
  • Volume: 15
  • Issue Number: 5
  • Publisher: Taylor & Francis
  • ISSN: 1538-9588
  • Serial URL: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/15389588.html

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age groups; Crashes; Demographics; Driving; Gender; High risk drivers; Highway safety; Physiological fatigue; Research; Risk assessment; Sleep disorders
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01526565
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 29 2014 9:28AM