• Philip Parks, Gerardo Durand, Antonios J Tsismenakis, Antonio Vela-Bueno, and Stefanos Kales.
• Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
• J. Occup. Environ. Med. 2009 Mar 1;51(3):275-82.

ObjectiveTo evaluate consensus criteria for screening commercial drivers for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).MethodsConsecutive drivers underwent OSA screening using Joint Task Force consensus criteria at commercial driver medical examinations. Outcomes included: clinical yield of screening; and drivers' compliance with polysomnography (PSG) referrals and OSA treatment.ResultsAmong 456 drivers, 53 (12%) were referred for PSG, and 20/20 were confirmed to have OSA, supporting a high positive predictive value. The other 33 drivers referred for PSG were lost to follow-up but demonstrated no significant differences from those with confirmed OSA. After diagnosis, only one of 20 drivers with confirmed OSA demonstrated treatment compliance.ConclusionsDrivers identified by the consensus criteria have a high likelihood of OSA. Drivers' poor compliance with PSGs and OSA treatment support federally mandated screening of commercial drivers.

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