STANDARDS - GUIDELINES
The management of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in drivers − recommendations of the Polish Society Of Occupational Medicine, The Polish Respiratory Society, The Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Lodz and The Polish Sleep Research Society
More details
Hide details
1
Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera / Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland
(Zakład Fizjologii Pracy i Ergonomii / Department of Work Physiology and Ergonomics
Pracownia Badań nad Snem / Sleep Research Laboratory)
2
Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera / Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland
(Klinika Chorób Zawodowych i Zdrowia Środowiskowego, Centrum Ochrony Zdrowia Pracujących / Department of Occupational Diseases
and Environmental Health, Workers’ Health Protection Center)
3
Instytut Gruźlicy i Chorób Płuc / Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Warsaw, Poland
(II Klinika Chorób Płuc / 2nd Department of Lung Diseases)
4
Kujawsko-Pomorskie Centrum Pulmonologii w Bydgoszczy / Kujawy-Pomorze Regional Centre of Pulmonology in Bydgoszcz,
Bydgoszcz, Poland
(Oddział Chorób Płuc i Niewydolności Oddychania / Department of Lung Diseases and Respiratory Failure)
5
Instytut Gruźlicy i Chorób Płuc Oddział Terenowy w Rabce-Zdroju / Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Rabka-Zdrój Branch,
Poland
6
Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Collegium Medicum / Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
(Klinika Pulmonologii, II Katedra Chorób Wewnętrznych / Department of Pulmonology, 2nd Chair of Internal Medicine)
Online publication date: 2020-02-24
Corresponding author
Jadwiga Siedlecka
Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera,
Zakład Fizjologii Pracy i Ergonomii , ul. św. Teresy 8, 91-348, Łódź
Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2020;71(2):233-43
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
The findings of numerous studies and analyzes conducted in many countries have proven that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
negatively affects the psychophysical abilities drivers. Therefore, in Commission Directive 2014/85/EU of July, 1 2014, OSA was
recognized as one of the most important risk factors for car accidents. The implementation of said Directive by Member States is
to contribute to reducing the risk of such accidents. The implementation of the Directive in Poland has resulted in enacting the
Ordinance of the Minister of Health of December 23, 2015 amending the ordinance on medical examinations of applicants for
a driving license and drivers. Although Annex 2 to that regulation sets out the detailed conditions for a medical examination for
OSA, it does not regulate or clarify the issue of tools and methods for suspecting OSA in a moderate or hard form. Therefore, it was
necessary to develop standards of management for doctors authorized to perform medical examinations of drivers and applicants
for a driving license in the case of suspected OSA. The paper presents an algorithm of proceedings that streamlines the case-law
process in the above-mentioned cases, which was developed by the Polish Society of Occupational Medicine in cooperation with
the Polish Respiratory Society, the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź and the Polish Sleep Research Society. Med Pr. 2020;71(2):233–43