The experience of the health suitability of the driver’s license in relation to sleep apnea in the Sleep Laboratory of the North Pest Center Hospital Honvéd Hospital

Abstract

Aim: The aim is to diagnose the disease and determine the degree of severity of the disease by the AHI index (the number of breathing interruptions during one hour of sleep), as well as to set appropriate therapy in the case of moderate or severe sleep apnea syndrome.
Methodology: The first stop of which takes place in the general practitioner’s offices during a health fitness test using questionnaires. For those with a positive result, a screening test evaluated by a somnologist is required. If moderate or severe sleep apnea syndrome arises based on this, further examination and therapy are recommended at a sleep diagnostic center. In this case, the most recommended treatment method is airway therapy, which can be achieved with the CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) or BiPAP (bilevel positive airway pressure) device, which makes breathing continuous during sleep and ensures undisturbed sleep.
Findings: Between 2015 and 2022, we examined 26,897 patients with dyssomnia symptoms using polygraph or polysomnography devices in the Sleep Laboratory of the North Pest Center Hospital Honvéd Hospital, of which 23,566 (88%) patients had some form of sleep apnea syndrome (AHI: ≥5/hour). CPAP or BiPAP therapy was started in 9,781 (42%) patients to treat moderate or severe sleep apnea syndrome.
Value: Since 2015, the number of traffic accidents has decreased significantly, among others thanks to successful diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.