TY - JOUR PY - 2021// TI - Risk factors for sleepiness at the wheel and sleep-related car accidents among patients with obstructive sleep apnea: data from the French Pays de la Loire Sleep Cohort JO - Nature and science of sleep A1 - Sabil, AbdelKebir A1 - Bignard, Remi A1 - Gervès-Pinquié, Chloé A1 - Philip, Pierre A1 - Le Vaillant, Marc A1 - Trzepizur, Wojciech A1 - Meslier, Nicole A1 - Gagnadoux, Frédéric SP - 1737 EP - 1746 VL - 13 IS - N2 - PURPOSE: We aimed to determine the risk factors of sleepiness at the wheel among patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and to determine factors that were independently associated with reported sleep-related near-miss accidents or car accidents.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted on 843 OSA patients from the French Pays de la Loire sleep cohort database. Each patient completed surveys including anthropometric data, medical history, professional status, and data on alcohol and tobacco use. Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and sleep quality questionnaires were administered. Regarding driving, data were collected on occurrence of sleepiness-related near-misses or car accidents, and on distance driven per year. The primary dependent variable of interest was reported sleepiness at the wheel.

RESULTS: On multivariable regression analysis, reported sleepiness at the wheel (n=298) was independently associated with younger age (p=0.02), male gender (p=0.009), marked nocturnal hypoxemia (p=0.006), lower BMI (p=0.03), absence of cardiovascular disease (p=0.022), executives or high degree jobs (p=0.003) and reported difficulty-maintaining sleep (p=0.03). Only past experience of sleepiness at the wheel (OR 12.18, [6.38-23.25]) and an ESS ≥11 (OR 4.75 [2.73-8.27]) were independently associated with reported car accidents (n=30) or near-miss accidents (n=137).

CONCLUSION: In patients newly diagnosed with OSA, the risk of car accident seems multifactorial, and its evaluation should include multiple parameters such as patient self-reported sleepiness at the wheel, occurrence of sleepiness-related accidents, anthropometry, professional status, and insomnia complaints. Thus, it is possible to evaluate this risk and advise patients as early as the first visit at the sleep medicine clinic without waiting for the results of the sleep study.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1179-1608 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S328774 ID - ref1 ER -