[Continued driving habits of patients diagnosed with excessive daytime sleepiness].

OBJECTIVE

Description of driving behaviour of patients with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and the influence on their driving of diagnosis, therapy, legal guidelines and advices.

DESIGN

Inventory based on questionnaires.

SETTING

Centre for Sleep and Wake Disorders, The Hague, the Netherlands.

METHODS

All patients with EDS who were in a stable condition for at least 6 months after therapy were sent a questionnaire (n = 138). The questions concerned actual driving behaviour, EDS and the effects of diagnosis, therapy and advice given by the Centre.

RESULTS

The response was 67% (n = 92). Eighteen patients had never driven a car. Eighteen of the other 74 patients quit driving or drove less. Fifty-six patients did not change their behaviour or drove even more. There was little effect on driving behaviour of diagnosis, therapy and advice to stop driving.

CONCLUSION

Patients with EDS often participate as drivers in modern traffic. Legal guidelines and advice given by physicians have only little influence on this behaviour. As general measures seem to be ineffective, approaches tailored to the individual patient may lead to more acceptable results.