Detection Time of Methamphetamine: Compared to cocaine, methamphetamine’s effects can be more intense and last longer. The half-life for methamphetamine (the time period required for the body to decrease the blood level of methamphetamine by…
Blood concentrations for methamphetamine use as a prescribed medication are typically in the range of .02-.05 mg/L for a person taking methamphetamine prescribed for attention deficit disorder, weight loss or narcolepsy. Drug abuse with methamphetamine…
Screening: Methamphetamine is typically detected through urine and blood screens that offer positive or negative (“qualitative”) results. A positive result on a screen often leads to a confirmatory test that will use more sophisticated laboratory…
Methamphetamine use has physical manifestations that heighten suspicion of use and lead to a drug screen. The category of stimulants, which includes methamphetamine, methylphenidate and cocaine, all produce dilation of pupils and the pupils appear…
The last thing I want to cover is abbreviations. Reading a doctor’s handwriting alone is hard enough, and it is so much harder if it’s filled with unknown abbreviations. It is literally impossible to understand…
For more information on the hospital course, other documents to look for include: Operative reports: These are generated if the patient undergoes any surgeries, and a separate report will be generated for each operation. Look…
When performing a medical records review, if you’re looking for a list of injuries, as you commonly are in criminal law, you will look at the emergency department (ED or ER) reports and/or the ambulance…
If you’re looking for the “story” of how the patient entered the hospital and what happened while he/she was there, go to the Discharge Summary (Caution: This is different than the Discharge Instructions, which are…
On the day prior to his arrest, Mr. Smith went to see a psychiatrist and was placed on Wellbutrin. The doctor claimed to have considered the interactions of his medications and the hepatotoxic potential, yet…
Studies from 2010 indicate that “Patients with impaired renal or hepatic function may have difficulty clearing or metabolizing opioids and concurrent medications, leading to increased risk of adverse events.” At the time of his arrest,…
The liver is a large organ that is located on the upper right side of the body. It is considered part of the digestive system as it detoxifies the products we ingest, including medications, and…
Mr. Smith had a significant and lengthy medical history that included Hepatitis C, Cirrhosis, ITP, Diabetes, vertigo, peptic ulcer disease, depression, IV Drug abuse (heroin and cocaine), and prescription narcotic addiction. Mr. Smith’s history of…
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