questions about the sleep apnea guidlines

I couldn't agree with you more on this one.....

 

when did truck drivers ever have normal sleep patterns anyway...........more rules you fools

 

Where did you get that "under 5 nonsense" ?

http://www.aeroflowindustrialclinics.com/fmcsa-sleep-clinic.cfm

Confirmed here .

http://www.expeditersonline.com/tru...p_apnea_recommendations_as_rule_guidance.html

 

Did I say he couldn't get certified? I said he had mild apnea and should be treated if his AHI is over 5. I do know for a fact that there are some companies out there that will not allow you to pass their physical if you score over 5 (but I admit that may be after a person has admitted to having apnea)...and have to provide proof of treatment with a score under 5 before they will certify. I know of other companies that only care that the machine is being used if you have apnea and don't even look at the score...my current company is an example...although I score a 1.8 with treatment so it does not matter.

All I am saying as someone who has had treatment for 10 years and knows how it has saved my life, that a score of 11 may technically be legal but should be treated.

My under 5 "nonsense" meant he should be at a level where there is no apnea and with a coe of 11 he needs a CPAP to get him there

http://sleepdisorders.about.com/od/glossary/g/AHI.htm

 

Yeah, well.... then everybody should have to be medically certified to operate a motor vehicle, EVERYBODY..... If it's such a great idea, and if safety and health is the primary concern, then EVERYBODY, cops, firemen, politicians, john q public, everyone should be checked out and denied a license if they have any issues.... as well as all pilots and anyone holding a captains license.... let's be safe everyone....

 

You said

That was not correct . I bet plenty of drivers are out there with mild apnea sleeping without a machine and they are not a problem . I have never heard of any companies inquiring about AHI and it isn't carriers that certify . It's the physician . Carriers don't dictate how physicians qualify .

http://www.occ-doc.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=162

 

This thread is getting into splitting hairs on this topic.

If you know an AHI reading then somewhere the driver involved took a sleep study. "official" or "unofficial" in lab or home sleep study the issue is

Did a doctor diagnose you as having obstructive sleep apnea?

AHI is just one of several things a good sleep doctor will be looking at in making a clinical diagnosis of sleep apnea. For example oxygen desaturation duing sleep is a big indicator. You can have a low AHI (you stopped breathing only a few times per hour) but horrible oxygen desaturation because of the length of time you stopped breathing during each apnea event. This would result in lots of issues and bad excessive daytime sleepines but a low AHI.

If at anytime a doctor has diagnosed you as having sleep apnea you need to report that on your DOT medical form.

Drjchill's posting is an issue on whether or not a sleep study would be covered by your medical insurance. At times the FMCSA - Medical Review Board reccomendation of using BMI alone do not meet insurance requirements for the test to be "medically necessary".

Carriers can dictate medical examiners use standards more restrictive than the FMCSA minimums. That is where lots of the current testing is coming from Many DOT examiners are already using the BMI or the company is requiring them to use the BMI>35 = sleep study reccomendation.

Hope this helps.

 

Hey truckerdad ive been on the cpap now since fri and it is wonderful my ahi is down to .08 as of monday night and im already waking up feeling much better. Thank you for talking to me last week.

Rick

 

I've tried using the #### cpap machine for 6 weeks. I slept worse w/ it then i did w/o it. From what I've seen personally every person that's gone in for that #### test has "failed" it. My only hope to drive once again is to just drop my weight to the point my neck is no longer 17in+.
Off hand is the whole neck measuring thing set in stone with the DOT Physical or is there doc's out there that don't give a #### about measuring the neck for a DOT Physical card? I only ask cause if i can get a DOT Physical done right now I could at least fetch a job driving a tow truck.

 

There are currently NO FMCSA requirements regarding neck size or BMI . The physical form is the same as it's been for decades . The history section asks the driver if he has had problems with fatigue , sleeplessness , etc. and the physician is asked to look for signs of respiratory problems or sleep apnea . The problem is most drivers have to use the physician their carrier chooses .