Alcohol Screening

[Bryan Boling]

When I was a tech in the ED, we used to draw tubes for the police.  However,
they were ADDITIONAL tubes drawn for the purpose of evidence collection, not
our regular labs, and it was with the patient's "consent."  I put consent in
quotes because we have an implied consent law here that says if a police
officer suscpects someone of driving under the influence, he can request
they give a blood/breath/urine sample (most times they get the choice -
breath is free, blood or urine they MIGHT have to pay for - but if they're
in the ED for treatment, blood test is free too, and dependending on the
nature and injuries, might be the "required" way, but I digress...).  They
can refuse, but refusal gets their license suspended.  So, I never ahd a
patient refuse when it was put to them like that.

We drew the labs into special tubes with the officer observing and then had
to sign a form saying we'd drawn it from the right patient and the tubes
were covered (sealed I suppose) with a label that the officer had to cosign
with us.  I suppose that prevents tampering down the line?  Then they took
the tubes to some other lab they didn't go to the hospital lab.

We routinely drew BALs on trauma patients and typically ran a urine drug
screen if there was any indication they might have anything on board.  But
this was simply to know what we were dealing with pharmacologically (and the
occasional ED game "guess the BAL") and not for any kind of legal
proceeding.

bryan


On 8/17/06, Lorick Fox, PA-C <lorick at lorick.org> wrote:
>
>
> Since there is no chain of custody, I would be surprised if a blood
> alcohol
> obtained in the hospital was admissible for criminal prosecution.
> On the other hand, I have heard of police officers watching blood tubes
> drawn and then seizing them as evidence.
>
> Anyone actually KNOW:
> (1) if hospital labs are admissible and
> (2) if the "seizure of blood tubes" is anything more than urban legend?
>
> BTW, I am leaving Egypt next month to join Cardiovascular Associates, LLC
> in
> the Norfolk, Virginia area www.cval.org (doing EP).  However, I will be
> returning to volunteer EMS as well, so I'll actually see more trauma.
>
> Lorick Fox, MPAS, PA-C
> SEAVIN Medical
> Gianaclis Support Complex
> 011-20-3-448-2335x2001 or 2207
> www.Lorick.org
>
>
>
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