Obesity and sleeping at the wheel

Two items caught my eye in the Autumn 2009 issue of Column (Journal of National Back Exchange) which are both worrying, but taken together are alarming.  The first refers to recent figures from the Department of Health that shows the number of hospital admissions of people with obesity has almost tripled in the last five years.  When seen in greater detail, the largest increase was in the 18 – 30 year old age group.

 

These figures confirm what we are constantly being told, that there is an “obesity epidemic” in the UK and, apparently in most of the affluent countries of the world.  This has serious implications for our health service and society in general.  However, taken with the next article in Column the implications are far more serious than that.

 

Dr Bertrand de Silva, a specialist in sleep disorder highlights the dangers of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its link to obesity.  He believes the condition should be a cause for concern for 25% of UK drivers.  Dr de Silva says “only 15% of OSA sufferers have been diagnosed so, despite the dangers, the majority are oblivious that they have the condition.  It is now recognised that OSA, which causes daytime sleepiness, doubles the risk of road accidents.”

 

Research conducted by the AA reveals that one in ten of UK drivers admitted to nodding off at the wheel and accidents caused by falling asleep tend to be particularly serious as the driver will not have braked before the crash.

 

As the proportion of the population that are overweight increases, so we can expect the number of sleep related road accidents to increase.  As the emergency services are only too aware, recovering overweight people from crashed vehicles poses additional difficulties as larger individuals are more likely to be trapped and because of both size and weight are more difficult to move.

 

The Promove sling, although not designed specifically for bariatric persons, is able to accommodate a range of sizes up to and including bariatric.  As it can be placed under the individual in restricted locations without the need to move the individual in any way first, it is ideal for extracting an entrapped obese person from a vehicle.  Once in place it enables up to eight operatives to take a hold and thereby distribute the weight of the individual between the whole team.

 

Over one in five of the UK Fire and Rescue Services have bought Promove slings to date with others presently assessing the device.  Three NHS Ambulance Trusts have expressed interest in the sling but sales to this sector have so far been only to private ambulance service providers.  We wait and hope.

 

 

For further information and a free trial, please contact Dr Huw Thomas or Dana Thomas by telephone on 01970 820893 or by e-mail huw@promove.uk.com / dana@promove.uk.com.