Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/93143
LOGBOOK Apnea proposal could come within months The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is making progress in developing guidance on screening and treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, said Elaine Papp, chief of the agency's Medical Programs Division. Speaking at the 2012 Truck Driver Social Media Convention in Kansas City, Mo., Papp urged drivers to take advantage of the public comment period once the guidance is released, possibly next year. As for what the guidance will look like, Papp referenced recommendations made at the combined meeting of the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee and Medical Review Board in February. Those recommendations, erroneously released in April as proposed guidance prior to undergoing full agency review, notably didn't fully endorse dental appliances as an allowed treatment or home- based apnea tests as allowed diagnostic testing. Papp, however, spoke favorably of both as lower-cost possibilities for diagnosis and treatment of apnea. When Papp herself underwent a sleep study years ago to determine if she had the condition, it cost her about $4,000. She cited an average cost for a full in-lab sleep study today at $1,800 to $2,000. Also, she said agency studies found that home testing for sleep apnea is much cheaper than and generally as effective as overnight sleep studies. About dental appliances as alternatives to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines for treatment, Papp noted that FMCSA has met with a dentist who utilizes mechanical devices that are compliant with treatment requirements. – Todd Dills 14 | Overdrive | December 2012 Text INFO to 205-289-3555 or visit www.ovdinfo.com