Self-reported automobile accidents involving patients with obstructive sleep apnea

Abstract

We developed a routine survey instrument, which included data on self-reported motor vehicle accidents (MVA), among 253 patients who attended the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center to evaluate whether patients with diagnosed sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) have a higher ratio of MVAs. We used unconditional multiple logistic regression to determine the odds ratio between MVA and SAS, adjusted for the following covariates: age, sex, work shift, daytime nap, alcohol and coffee intake, and history of neurologic diseases. Thirty-one percent of patients with SAS compared with 15% of patients without SAS reported at least one MVA (p < 0.01). The adjusted odds ratio found through logistic multiple regression analysis was 2.99 (p < 0.01). The results demonstrate that patients with SAS had a higher ratio of self-reported MVA than did those without SAS and that the characteristics of falling asleep at inappropriate times and driving past destinations were two good indicators of probability of having an MVA. Nevertheless, sleep apnea is a very treatable condition; once treated the risk factors diminish considerably.