Article

Stroke impacts the domains known to be important for driving and is a
primary condition for driving evaluation referrals. Given the high prevalence of
stroke, the objective was to summarize the evidence regarding risk of crashes and
traffic citations post stroke. METHODS: A structured review of six databases was
conducted to retrieve studies that included stroke as a separate exposure from
other disorders and measured crashes or traffic citations as an outcome. RESULTS:
Four cohort and three case-control studies met the inclusion criteria. Five of
the seven studies found increased odds or risk ratios ranging from 1.9 to 7.7,
while two found an association of 0.8. Only one result was statistically
significant (RR=2.7). One study examined the outcome traffic citations and found
no significant association. CONCLUSION: There is cause for concern regarding
increased risk of crashes post stroke. Future studies that examine the impact of
stroke severity and sequelae will help health professionals, families, and those
with stroke make informed decisions regarding driving post stroke. This review
indicates that drivers with stroke have an increased risk of crashing compared to
their counterparts without stroke, as demonstrated by increased risk estimates in
five out of the seven studies that have examined this issue.
This review also
points to an urgent need for rigorous studies investigating the risk of crashes
according to specific stroke sequelae: an understanding of crash risk based on
stroke severity, impairments,
and function will assist clinicians in making
informed decisions regarding the need for comprehensive driving evaluation and
the potential for driver retraining for specific subgroups.

Langue : ANGLAIS