The Association between Sleep Apnea and the Risk of Traffic Accidents

TLDR

Drowsiness and lack of concentration are known contributors to traffic accidents. The study examined whether sleep apnea increases the risk of traffic accidents. The authors compared 102 drivers who survived highway accidents with 152 matched controls, screening all for sleep apnea using home polygraphy and confirmatory polysomnography, and calculated the apnea–hypopnea index for each participant.

Abstract

Drowsiness and lack of concentration may contribute to traffic accidents. We conducted a case–control study of the relation between sleep apnea and the risk of traffic accidents. The case patients were 102 drivers who received emergency treatment at hospitals in Burgos or Santander, Spain, after highway traffic accidents between April and December 1995. The controls were 152 patients randomly selected from primary care centers in the same cities and matched with the case patients for age and sex. Respiratory polygraphy was used to screen the patients for sleep apnea at home, and conventional polysomnography was used to confirm the diagnosis. The apnea–hypopnea index (the total number of episodes of apnea and hypopnea divided by the number of hours of sleep) was calculated for each participant.