{
  "abstract": "Introduction and objectives Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a recognised contributor to driving impairment, yet its real-world impact remains underappreciated in clinical practice. Traditional severity measures like the Apnoea-Hypopnoea Index (AHI) and subjective sleepiness scores often fail to capture functional risk. This study sought to determine the prevalence of sleep-related driving impairment in OSA using multiple targeted questions and exploring associations with demographic and clinical factors, aiming to build a comprehensive understanding of how OSA affects driving.Methods Retrospective analysis from patients with OSA who attended sleep clinic between May and September 2023. Inclusion criteria consisted of a confirmed OSA diagnosis, a completed sleep clinic questionnaire and being a driver. Patients completed four questions on driving impairment (near-misses, accidents, head-nodding, and needing breaks while driving due to fatigue) as part of a standard clinical symptom questionnaire. A positive response to any of the four question items was deemed indicative of driving being affected. Deprivation deciles were assessed using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), based on patients’ postcodes. Subjective daytime sleepiness was assessed using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Relationships between reported driving impairment and clinical variables were evaluated.Results 162 patients met study criteria (table 1). In total, 47 (29.0%) drivers reported at least one feature of impaired driving, and 38% of this group reported more than one feature. However, the nature of driving impairment was not consistent. 30 (18.5%) reported head-nodding, 26 (16.0%) needing to stop for breaks, 12 (7.4%) near-misses, and 3 (1.9%) had road traffic accidents. No association was found between driving impairment and OSA severity, but ESS was significant (p<0.001).Conclusion Driving impairment is frequently self-reported in individuals with OSA. Our findings support using ESS as a predictor and highlight the need for multi-question tools to identify risk more comprehensively.Abstract O13 Table 1Patient characteristics",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "GKT School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom"
      ],
      "name": "Maryana Jahangir"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "GKT School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom"
      ],
      "name": "Ryan Syed"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "GKT School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom"
      ],
      "name": "Summia Hussain"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "GKT School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom"
      ],
      "name": "Mei Tung Lam"
    }
  ],
  "title": "O13 More than a near miss: the importance of multi-question screening for driving impairment in obstructive sleep apnoea",
  "uid": "4cac21b1-3a2e-5fba-937a-5473f526c0e7"
}