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Daytime sleepiness and automobile accidents in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
Author(s) -
NODA AKIKO,
YAGI TOMOKO,
YOKOTA MITSUHIRO,
KAYUKAWA YUHEI,
OHTA TATSURO,
OKADA TAMOTSU
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1819.1998.tb01041.x
Subject(s) - epworth sleepiness scale , excessive daytime sleepiness , obstructive sleep apnea , medicine , poison control , apnea , injury prevention , physical therapy , medical emergency , sleep disorder , psychiatry , polysomnography , insomnia
We evaluated the rate of automobile accidents and daytime sleepiness using the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) in 44 patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). We defined the automobile accident score as a sum of two points for every one automobile accident and one point for every near‐miss accident. Automobile accidents and near‐misses were found in 54.5% and 50.0% in patients with OSAS. Automobile accident score was significantly correlated with the ESS score ( r = 0.56, P < 0.01). Our findings suggest that ESS score may be useful in detecting patients with the potential risk of automobile accidents associated with daytime sleepiness.