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Driver Issues
Truckers Dying for Good Night’s Sleep
By Sherri Middleton
More than a million commercial truck drivers are suffering from a medical condition that prevents them from getting enough sleep, according to a study sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier’s Safety Administration and the American Trucking Associations.
Obstructed Sleep Apnea (OSA) is defined as the struggle to breathe during sleep and it results in sleepiness and inattention while performing daily tasks. Sleep apnea contributes to a significant number of Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) accidents each year in addition to other health problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
Studies show that commercial truck drivers have a higher incidence of the most severe form of OSA compared to the average population.
Approximately 28 percent of truck drivers suffer from sleep apnea compared to 2 percent of women over age 40 and 4 percent of men over the age of 40, according to a study conducted by the New York University School of Medicine Sleep Disorders Center.
While the numbers are disturbing, experts in the field say a solution is available and drivers shouldn’t fear losing their jobs or reporting their condition to improve the quality of their lives and the safety of others.
Federal agencies are calling for additional studies and are now making assistance available through insurance and Medicare programs to diagnose the condition and implement treatments to reduce the symptoms of OSA.
Charles Sisson, president of The Sleep Service Center in Milwaukee, WI, says most people, including truckers, are misinformed about sleep apnea and many commercial drivers are afraid to get tested for fear of losing their jobs.
Sisson says The Sleep Service Center was established to service the needs of sleep deprived people. “Our licensed respiratory therapists have been servicing the needs of sleep deprived clients for more than 15 years,” he says. “Some drivers may disagree, but a trucker’s job has more to do with thinking than physical activity. Constant awareness of traffic, road conditions, problem solving and stress can be more exhausting than heavy labor.”
Sisson said many drivers fear seeking help for sleep disorders because they are afraid of losing their jobs. Federal guidelines do make it possible for truckers to be grounded because of accidents involving inattention or sleeping at the wheel, but Sisson and others in the field say medical advances and treatments are keeping truckers behind the wheel if they will seek help.
Sisson says drivers aren’t always aware that treatment is available in places other than sleep centers, and he adds that options like the Sleep Service Center are less costly. “FDA approved home studies can be done for about a third to a fifth of the cost,” he says. “New CPAP equipment can also automatically change pressures to a users immediate needs and they don’t have to go back to a sleep lab for another titration for pressure.”
Sisson says home sleep studies also eliminate the cost of doctor visits and he says equipment prices are much less expensive than in the past. “Some CPAPs also have rechargeable internal batteries that last up to eight hours, so drivers will get a full night’s sleep.”
Patty Bertucci, manager of clinical services and a respiratory therapist with The Sleep Service Center says the government is now more inclined to assist drivers with sleep studies and treatments rather than allowing a company to terminate a drivers’ employment.
“Obstructive Sleep Apnea is treatable and sleep apnea affects such a large number of the American population that legislation now supports testing and treatment,” she says.
The Sleep Service Center conducts the sleep studies remotely rather than having a patient spend a night or two in a sleep clinic. “New technology allows us to monitor a person while he is sleeping from the cab or home and the results are automatically reported back to us so we can start a course of treatment.”
These FDA-approved studies now allow insurance companies and federal assistance to cover the cost of the testing and treatment because “it’s less expensive for the government to look at alternatives to traditional treatment,” she says.
Many factors seem to contribute to OSA including body shape, physical condition, eating habits and stress.
Bertucci has been a respiratory therapist since 1977 and involved with The Sleep Service Center since 1990. “Last August we went to Dallas to GATS (Great American Truck Show). We had a booth where truckers could come by and talk to us about sleep and sleep behavior. We discovered this was a huge problem and drivers all said they were scared of seeking help for fear of losing their jobs,” she said. “There is a lot of bad information about OSA and drivers need to know that they don’t have to continue to suffer in silence.”
One benefit of working with a sleep disorder center like The Sleep Service Center is that drivers and fleets have the ability to provide accurate compliance information on drivers if that information is ever needed.
By using compliance chips to monitor the driver or the fleet, information about sleep habits are maintained and can prove whether a driver is getting enough rest.
“In order to prove true compliance a person must be attached and connected to the sleep device for at least five hours a night, five days a week,” she said. “This amount of monitored time gives enough information to provide proof to a carrier’s insurance company for medical coverage.”
Another added benefit of testing and treatment for sleep apnea is the ability to provide proof for driver litigation, post accident with proof of approved treatment.
“Our center gives fleet owners or owner operators an alternative to a full sleep study which can cost as much as $2,500 per person,” Sisson says. “By using our service and paying a small fee by credit card, the driver receives the testing device by mail wherever or whenever they need it. Then we determine a course of treatment and send a device that monitors a persons’ oxygen, blood, heart rate and obstruction,” Bertucci says. “The new CPAP devices provide reports for a full night of sleep and they are auto-adjusting to provide the correct air pressure to insure a good night’s sleep.”
Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea from the FMCSA are based on a 1991 report sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration.
Patients with sleep apnea include those with repetitive partial or complete obstruction of upper airway tissues during sleep resulting in sleep disruption, gas exchange abnormalities and cardiovascular changes.
Studies find that drivers who seek diagnosis and treatment return to work sooner and are more productive on the job while undergoing treatment.
“Sleep apnea or OSA is treatable and drivers who seek treatment can prove compliance and keep their jobs,” Bertucci says.
For more information on The Sleep Service Center call 877-548-7427. For more information on Sleep Apnea or OSA, visit www.drowsydriving.org.
What’s Your Snore Score?
The following quiz is provided by the American Sleep Apnea Association and reprinted here with permission. This quiz is not intended as a replacement for medical advice.
1. Are you a loud and/or regular snorer? Yes No
2. Have you ever been observed to gasp or stop breathing during sleep? Yes No
3. Do you feel tired or groggy upon awakening, or do you awaken with a headache? Yes No
4. Are you often tired or fatigued during the wake time hours? Yes No
5. Do you fall asleep sitting, reading, watching TV or driving? Yes No
6. Do you often have problems with memory or concentration? Yes No
If you have one or more of these symptoms you are at a higher risk for having obstructive sleep apnea. If you are overweight, have a large neck, and/or high blood pressure, the risk increases.
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you should discuss your symptoms with your physician or a sleep specialist. |
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