New Screenings For Sleep Apnea? - Brown Cafe

over9five · 10-21-2009, 08:13 AM

NTSB Says Commercial Drivers Should Be Screened

Great, what will this involve?

pickup · 10-21-2009, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by over9five

NTSB Says Commercial Drivers Should Be Screened

Great, what will this involve?

When I had xm radio, I used to listen to the trucking channel and they discussed this on and off for a few years. Based on the little I remember, the "scientists" behind this were going to focus guys who were "overweight" as they believe someone overweight would be more inclined to have this condition. I put "overweight" in quotes because I have seen those height to weight charts and they really seem to be out of whack. I am going to go past one of those scales with those charts later today but I seem to remember they had 167 pounds for a 5' 10" persons as the borderline for overweight.

So to sum it up, if they come up with some kind of proposal, I think one of the triggers for further investigation is whether or not the person is overweight.

I know that one of the ways they determine sleep apnea is that a person spends a night at a medical center and goes to sleep and is monitored. I don't think they will go that far but if they do, can you guess who pays for it? Not the government.

It's bullsh-t in my opinion.

Since we are on the subject of new rules affecting truckers, I think a new law was passed and will be in effect for commercial truck drivers soon is a no texting law

Also, I heard governor patterson of new york is focusing on the subject of low overpass hits by truckers on parkways. Among his other proposals such as getting the company or trucker to pay for the damage is the requirement that any truck that travels in new york state must have a commercial gps system (and from what I see, they can't be trusted 100percent) Can you imagine the cost for a company that has a bunch of trucks in its fleet?

bluehdmc · 10-21-2009, 10:31 AM

I met one driver who told the medical examiner when he got his DOT physical that he snored, the doctor turned that into sleep apnea.

I know what pickup means about the gps not being accurate. I have one that supposedly can be set up for "truck/bus" that kept trying to put me through the Lincoln Tunnel (13' height restriction). NY is funny with how they mark bridges, one route through the city puts you under two subway overpasses marked 13'0" and I've gone under them with 13'6" trailers. I've been told all kinds of stories like, "NY measures from the hub."
If NY measured from the hub wouldn't it make a difference if you had 20 inch tires or 24 inch tires?
Of course maybe they use the same ruler twin hill uses to measure pants and sleeve length on shirts.

raceanoncr · 10-21-2009, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by over9five

NTSB Says Commercial Drivers Should Be Screened

Great, what will this involve?

Uh, whad'ya say? I was sleeping!

pickup · 10-21-2009, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raceanoncr

Uh, whad'ya say? I was sleeping!

ha ha

hurricanegunner · 10-21-2009, 06:39 PM

First you have to have a sleep study done to determine the type and severity of sleep apnea you have. Then the sleep specialist recommends a treatment. Another sleep study is done using this treatment to prove this treatment is effective in treating your particular type of apnea. Then you must perform what is called a "wakefullness maintainance test." This is a test in which they hook you up to the monitors that are used in a sleep study(wires everywhere), lie you down in a darkened room on a bed, and tell you "Don't go to sleep." They shut the door and you have to lie there for 30 minutes and NOT sleep. You can't move, you can't read, you can't listen to music, nothing. You just lie there and not sleep. This starts at 6am, and goes until 4pm. For 30 minutes you just lie there and not sleep. After 30 minutes, they unhook you and you can walk around, watch tv, listen to music, whatever. At the top of the hour, they hook you back up, turn out the lights and say, "Don't go to sleep." This goes from 6am to 4pm. At the top of the hour, you lie down for thirty minutes and don't go to sleep. This is supposed to prove the treatment prescribed for you is effective because only someone who got a good night's sleep could lie in a bed for 30 minutes at 6am and not go to sleep. If you fail any part of these tests, you do not get your dot card.

brownmonster · 10-21-2009, 06:41 PM

Nice! Will dying of boredom disqualify you?

rod · 10-21-2009, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hurricanegunner

First you have to have a sleep study done to determine the type and severity of sleep apnea you have. Then the sleep specialist recommends a treatment. Another sleep study is done using this treatment to prove this treatment is effective in treating your particular type of apnea. Then you must perform what is called a "wakefullness maintainance test." This is a test in which they hook you up to the monitors that are used in a sleep study(wires everywhere), lie you down in a darkened room on a bed, and tell you "Don't go to sleep." They shut the door and you have to lie there for 30 minutes and NOT sleep. You can't move, you can't read, you can't listen to music, nothing. You just lie there and not sleep. This starts at 6am, and goes until 4pm. For 30 minutes you just lie there and not sleep. After 30 minutes, they unhook you and you can walk around, watch tv, listen to music, whatever. At the top of the hour, they hook you back up, turn out the lights and say, "Don't go to sleep." This goes from 6am to 4pm. At the top of the hour, you lie down for thirty minutes and don't go to sleep. This is supposed to prove the treatment prescribed for you is effective because only someone who got a good night's sleep could lie in a bed for 30 minutes at 6am and not go to sleep. If you fail any part of these tests, you do not get your dot card.

And then they give you a labotomy

YouTube - One flew over the cuckoo's nest

pickup · 10-21-2009, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hurricanegunner

First you have to have a sleep study done to determine the type and severity of sleep apnea you have. Then the sleep specialist recommends a treatment. Another sleep study is done using this treatment to prove this treatment is effective in treating your particular type of apnea. Then you must perform what is called a "wakefullness maintainance test." This is a test in which they hook you up to the monitors that are used in a sleep study(wires everywhere), lie you down in a darkened room on a bed, and tell you "Don't go to sleep." They shut the door and you have to lie there for 30 minutes and NOT sleep. You can't move, you can't read, you can't listen to music, nothing. You just lie there and not sleep. This starts at 6am, and goes until 4pm. For 30 minutes you just lie there and not sleep. After 30 minutes, they unhook you and you can walk around, watch tv, listen to music, whatever. At the top of the hour, they hook you back up, turn out the lights and say, "Don't go to sleep." This goes from 6am to 4pm. At the top of the hour, you lie down for thirty minutes and don't go to sleep. This is supposed to prove the treatment prescribed for you is effective because only someone who got a good night's sleep could lie in a bed for 30 minutes at 6am and not go to sleep. If you fail any part of these tests, you do not get your dot card.

Nice post hurricane.

It think it will be cost prohibitive to test every driver. Based on this link:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0311111002.htm

I think the trigger for the more costly testing described above is going to be obesity: Body mass index and a few other factors such as waist size. if you are over the threshold, you are going to be a candidate for the more intensive testing.

I stated somewhere in another post here that the charts are a little off. though i might have been wrong for 167 for 5'10" as being the threshold limit for obese. I saw that scale today at the duane reade and they had different weights for a given height depending on "frame".

I would be more than little curious what those numbers are going to actually be. It may be that those who are on the cusp may wanna be like college wrestlers and "make weight" by not eating too much a few days before the physical and make sure that they have a good "movement" before hitting the physical.

This shouldn't affect the package car drivers because they don't have c.d.l.s and are generally not heavy. Feeders, oh boy. Heavier with c.d.l.s

hurricanegunner · 10-21-2009, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rod

And then they give you a labotomy

YouTube - One flew over the cuckoo's nest

Sorry to say Jack Nicholson would have failed. He closed his eyes.

hurricanegunner · 10-21-2009, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brownmonster

Nice! Will dying of boredom disqualify you?

You ain't kidding! To this day I have never experienced boredom on such a grand scale. Even the morning meetings usually end after 10 minutes and that's only once a day.

pickup · 10-21-2009, 07:52 PM

I've been googling b.m.i. in the last few minutes . Disturbing. I'll wait to see what the final ruling and standards are and see where I fit in.

hurricanegunner · 10-21-2009, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pickup

Nice post hurricane.

It think it will be cost prohibitive to test every driver. Based on this link:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0311111002.htm

I think the trigger for the more costly testing described above is going to obesity, Body mass index. if you are over the threshold, you are going to be the candidate for the testing.

I stated somewhere in another post here that the charts are a little off. though i might have been wrong for 167 for 5'10" as being the threshold limit for obese. I saw that scale today at the duane reade and they had different weights for a given height depending on "frame".

I would be more than little curious what those numbers are going to actually be. It may be that those who are on the cusp may wanna be like college wrestlers and "make weight" by not eating too much a few days before the physical and make sure that they have a good "movement" before hitting the physical.

This shouldn't affect the package car drivers because they don't have c.d.l.s and are generally not heavy. Feeders, oh boy. Heavier with c.d.l.s

They don't test every driver: just the drivers who have been diagnosed with sleep apnea by a sleep specialist(not a gp). And you're right: obesity is one of the problems with one type of apnea, obstructive sleep apnea. Extra skin around the neck pushes on the windpipe while the person is lying down, causing the windpipe to close. This causes the person to stop breathing, interrupting sleep. With central sleep apnea, the brain sends signals to the body to stop breathing. This has nothing to do with weight or physical condition. That is why it is important to see a sleep specialist and let him/her determine which type of apnea one has, if at all.
Oh, one more thing; for the initial sleep study, my gp had to write a prescription for it. I could not just call a sleep center and schedule a study. First, the gp, then on to the sleep specialist. Fortunately, my gp was terrific and helped to expedite matters and everything was taken care of in plenty of time for the dot folks. I never lost my dot card.

hurricanegunner · 10-21-2009, 08:02 PM

By the way, pickup, I had no idea how many truck drivers actually had apnea. I'm glad you posted that.

tarbar66 · 10-21-2009, 08:14 PM

It must have been 7 or 8 years ago that a friend of mine put down that he snored on his physical papers and he ended up at the sleep clinic too. He was in package and he usually finished up 45 minutes from the center. He told me he had nodded off more than once on the way back in. After the sleep clinic he got the machine and did not have any problems getting a better nights sleep.

pickup · 10-21-2009, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hurricanegunner

They don't test every driver: just the drivers who have been diagnosed with sleep apnea by a sleep specialist(not a gp). And you're right: obesity is one of the problems with one type of apnea, obstructive sleep apnea. Extra skin around the neck pushes on the windpipe while the person is lying down, causing the windpipe to close. This causes the person to stop breathing, interrupting sleep. With central sleep apnea, the brain sends signals to the body to stop breathing. This has nothing to do with weight or physical condition. That is why it is important to see a sleep specialist and let him/her determine which type of apnea one has, if at all.
Oh, one more thing; for the initial sleep study, my gp had to write a prescription for it. I could not just call a sleep center and schedule a study. First, the gp, then on to the sleep specialist. Fortunately, my gp was terrific and helped to expedite matters and everything was taken care of in plenty of time for the dot folks. I never lost my dot card.

I hear what you are saying hurricane, I think the practical application of this is going to be the gp first , during a dot exam. Most drivers aren't going to give answers that will make them more likely to be sent to the sleep specialist. So, The bmi tests (along with a few other objective quick tests) will be used to see if the "patient" needs to go to a sleep specialist. Then the sleep specialist will determine the next step.

My only concern is that then gp doesn't have a monetary interest to sending you to a sleep specialist and/or that the sleep specialist doesn't have a financial interest in sending you to a sleep center(i.e. he has an ownership stake in it)

We'll see how it turns out.

hurricanegunner · 10-22-2009, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pickup

I hear what you are saying hurricane, I think the practical application of this is going to be the gp first , during a dot exam. Most drivers aren't going to give answers that will make them more likely to be sent to the sleep specialist. So, The bmi tests (along with a few other objective quick tests) will be used to see if the "patient" needs to go to a sleep specialist. Then the sleep specialist will determine the next step.

My only concern is that then gp doesn't have a monetary interest to sending you to a sleep specialist and/or that the sleep specialist doesn't have a financial interest in sending you to a sleep center(i.e. he has an ownership stake in it)

We'll see how it turns out.

Good point, I see what you're saying.