 Sleep Apnea Guideline Delayed Indefinitely US Congress Passes Public Law 113-45 To ensure that any new or revised requirement providing forthe screening, testing, Or treatment of individuals operating commercial motorvehicles for sleep disorders Is adopted pursuant to a rulemaking proceeding, and forother purposes. Those opposed to new guidelines being developed for FMCSAlobbied for passage of Public Law 113-45 which requires the DOT to use the"Rule Making" process before making any change to the current sleepapnea guidelines. The rule makingprocess was the process used to create the National Registry and it is a longan arduous process. You should notexpect any new sleep guidelines for quite some time. So what is the guideline that is in place? Definition of Sleep Apnea: 30 hypopnea events per hour NeckCircumference: 17" males, 16" female The one monthrequirement to be on CPAP and the direction that CPAP or surgery is the onlyaccepted treatment for sleep apnea is now in question. The requirement for yearly objective testingmay also be in question. I have spent quite some time thinking what to tellDrivers. There is still a very greatconcern with drivers and motor carriers out there. But here is what I believe is an ethical andfair solution. Of course, none of thisis binding on Trucker Exam Inc. and should not be consider as medical advice. First let’s talk about who I think should be referred for asleep test: 1) I believe that a driver who discloses thatsomeone has told him that he pauses in breathing and when asleep should have asleep test. 2) A driver with a BMI over 35 with a history ofhypertension, diabetes, MI or stroke should be tested for sleep apnea. 3) If driver snoring loud, I will decide to givehim a current Epworth in my office. 4) I do not believe that drivers who simply have a17" or 16" neck should be tested on that basis alone. In regard to yearly objective testing, in my own practice Iam asking for a current compliant report bases on Medicare guidelines conductedby the sleep specialist and yearly clearance. The driver will receive a one yearmedical cert. |
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CategoriesCDL Medical Exam QuestionDOT Exam -Ask The Doctor DOT Medical exam DOT Physical exam drivers Drug testing Edwards' Trucking News FMCSA National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners Safety Manger Sleep Apnea truck driver Truck driver Compliance |
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