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Updated: May 8, 2026

Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy (DISE) with Target Controlled Infusion (TCI) and Bispectral Analysis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Published on: December 6, 2016
Hits and misses: screening commercial drivers for obstructive sleep apnea using guidelines recommended by a joint
Alec B Platt1, Lindsay C Wick, Sharon Hurley
1Respiratory Specialists, Wyomissing, USA. alecplatt@gmail.com
Objective:
To evaluate joint task force criteria-based screening for severe obstructive sleep apnea (s-OSA) in commercial drivers.
Methods:
Among a community-based cohort of licensed commercial vehicle drivers, we assessed utility of the joint task force criteria. We conducted full, 14-channel overnight polysomnography in all drivers, defining s-OSA as an apnea-hypopnea index of 30 or more per hour.
Results:
One hundred of 104 drivers with successful polysomnography studies were predominantly obese (median body mass index = 32.8 kg/m; interquartile range = 26.8 to 37.4) and had a median apnea-hypopnea index of 20.6 per hour (interquartile range = 10.0 to 34.2). Examination-based criteria were more effective (sensitivity = 80%; negative posttest probability [nPTP] = 17%) than symptom-based criteria (sensitivity = 63%; nPTP = 23%). Examination and symptom-based criteria combined had high sensitivity (97%) and low nPTP (7%), but poor specificity (19%).
Conclusions:
Examination-based criteria missed 20% of s-OSA cases. Combining examination with confidentially reported symptoms improved sensitivity but required confirmatory polysomnography in 86%, supporting universal screening of all drivers.
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