Practice Quiz

CME Certified Federal Medical Examiner

Category - Driver Identification and History

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A 46-year-old male driver presents for examination. He has a history of pneumothorax as a result of a car accident 4 years ago. He is a smoker. Since the last 2 weeks, he decided on his own to use Ventolin inhalers to ease his symptoms. He experiences frequent chest pain and shortness of breath.His only medical record provided is a pulmonary function evaluation showing a FVC of 60%. Can this driver be certified and why?
  1. Yes, he is controlling his pneumothorax symptoms by using Ventolin inhalers.
  2. No, he must be asymptomatic, provide x-ray examination report, and have a FVC > 65%.
  3. Yes, his symptoms are not related to pneumothorax and his FVC level is acceptable.
  4. No, he is a smoker.
Explanation
Answer: B - No, he must be asymptomatic, provide x-ray examination report, and have a FVC > 65%.

This is the correct answer because according to the recommendations of the 1990 Conference on Pulmonary/Respiratory Disorders and Commercial Drivers by the US Department of Transport (DOT), persons with traumatic pneumothorax must demonstrate full recovery through chest x-ray and no symptoms of chest pain or shortness of breath if they have no other underlying lung diseases. It is recommended as well that they have a FVC of 65% or more if they are smokers and over 35 years of age.
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