How Can a Forensic Nurse Help in Your DUI Case?
DUI Prevalence According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2020, there were 11,654 deaths from drunk driving crashes, which equates to one person every 45 minutes and/or 32 people per day. This was a 14% increase from 2019. Between 2011 and 2020, on average, 10,500 people died every year due to drunk […]
Alcohol Intoxication or Medical Issue?
Alcohol, trauma, or underlying medical condition? The legal limit of blood alcohol content is set by the US Department of Motor Vehicles at 0.08%. However, not everyone presents the same way clinically, as different individuals have different tolerance levels depending on their level of regular alcohol use. Even the liver eliminates alcohol from the body […]
Auto Brewery Syndrome
What is ABS? Auto brewery syndrome is a rare condition in which the gastrointestinal system produces ethanol through fermentation by fungi or bacteria in the gut. Normal digestion does produce some ethanol, but this process can become pathologic, producing so much that blood alcohol levels are detected. People with ABS can exhibit signs and symptoms […]
The Danger of Microsleep
What is a Microsleep? Have you ever been sitting in front of your computer and dozed off for a brief second, only to be jerked awake by a head-snap? If so, you have experienced a microsleep. These episodes are defined by brief periods of sleep and loss of attention. They can last from a split […]
Diabetes Complications – Mimics To DUI?
Diabetes The American Diabetes Association (ADA) reports that there are 30.3 million American adults with diabetes. This is approximately 9.4% of the American population. The ADA also reports that 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year and that in 2015, it was the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. What […]
Shock in Criminal Cases
In April, I covered delirium and noted that there are many underlying etiologies that can cause it. One such etiology is hypoperfusion. When the blood flow is cut off to the vital organs, the body will compensate in an effort to restore the blood flow. The body’s reaction to hypoperfusion is known as shock: What […]
Delirium: What role does it play in criminal cases? {DUI/Gen Med}
In many of our cases we come across symptoms of delirium and are asked to determine if they are due to the assumed etiology, like alcohol or drug intoxication; or from something else, like seizures, or traumatic brain injury. So, this month I’d like to do an overview of delirium and its potential causes, and […]
5 Things Criminal Attorneys Should Know About…Diabetes
This is the 5th out of 6 in this series of “5 things criminal attorneys should know about…” which I first posted a few years ago. Each month I highlight some areas of medicine that often cross into the criminal fields. This is not meant to be an in-depth review, but rather just bullet pointed […]
5 Things Criminal Attorneys Should Know About…Seizures
For the next few months I’ll post “5 things criminal attorneys should know about …” and highlight some areas of medicine that often cross into the criminal fields. I did this series a few years ago and I think it’s time to do a little refresher. This is not meant to be an in-depth review, […]
Benzodiazepines “Downers” {Mental Health/Toxicology}
Benzodiazepines, or “Benzos” are a class of drug that commonly pop up in the criminal cases that we review. These sedative “Downers” are commonly prescribed for a variety of maladies; knowledge about the side effects and normal levels is beneficial when they are a major, or even minor, component of a criminal case. Benzodiazepines affect […]
