http://www.duiblog.com/2006/01/25/is-hospital-blood-alcohol-analysis-accurate/ Bad Drunk Driving Laws, False Evidence and a Fading Constitution Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:49:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 http://www.duiblog.com/2006/01/25/is-hospital-blood-alcohol-analysis-accurate/comment-page-1/#comment-48 lusipher@gmail.com Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:37:35 +0000 http://duiblog.level2hosting.com/?p=293#comment-48 <a></a><EM>The answer: No.  The hospital analysis will show a falsely higher result.</EM> <EM></EM>  The hospital result isn't falsely high, it is just reporting a different type of blood alcohol concentration (BAC).  If the hospital is reporting on serum, then its a serum BAC.  It must be understood, and every defense attorney in the country does, that per se limits are generally set for whole blood BACs.   It's a simple of matter of converting between the two, and the witness should give the defendant the benefit of the doubt when choosing a conversion factor. The answer: No.  The hospital analysis will show a falsely higher result.
 
The hospital result isn’t falsely high, it is just reporting a different type of blood alcohol concentration (BAC).  If the hospital is reporting on serum, then its a serum BAC.  It must be understood, and every defense attorney in the country does, that per se limits are generally set for whole blood BACs.
 
It’s a simple of matter of converting between the two, and the witness should give the defendant the benefit of the doubt when choosing a conversion factor.

]]> http://www.duiblog.com/2006/01/25/is-hospital-blood-alcohol-analysis-accurate/comment-page-1/#comment-47 Tox Lab Guy Thu, 26 Jan 2006 23:34:44 +0000 http://duiblog.level2hosting.com/?p=293#comment-47 <a></a>Often times we are presented with BOTH a medico-legal whole blood draw and a handful of first draws that usually include serum.  In those cases, the medico-legal draw is analyzed solo, and the others are stored for further instructions. Having to testify about hospital results isn't usually a lot of fun due to the very reasons you mention. Often times we are presented with BOTH a medico-legal whole blood draw and a handful of first draws that usually include serum.  In those cases, the medico-legal draw is analyzed solo, and the others are stored for further instructions. Having to testify about hospital results isn’t usually a lot of fun due to the very reasons you mention.

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