Blood alcohol concentration and road accidents: Underestimation due to time of the arrival to the emergency department (ED) or delay in blood sampling. A 4-Year Retrospective Study in Rome

Autor:	Francesca Cittadini, Nadia De Giovanni, Giovanni Aulino, Gianluca Lentini, Giuseppe Vetrugno, Sabina Strano-Rossi, Marcello Covino
Rok vydání:	2023
Předmět:	back-calculation Issues ethics and legal aspects alcohol-related accidents zero tolerance Health Policy Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) forensic toxicology Settore MED/43 - MEDICINA LEGALE Law
Zdroj:	Medicine, Science and the Law. :002580242311542
ISSN:	2042-1818 0025-8024
Popis:	Alcohol is a significant public health issue, according to the World Health Organization. Our study aims to analyze the correlation between blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of drivers, their demographic features, and the possible underestimation of BACs due to the time elapsed between hospital admission and blood sampling. Methods: This study includes patients evaluated for BAC levels in the emergency department (ED) of Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS from January 2013 to December 2016. BAC levels were compared in patients involved in road crashes according to age group, sex, and time of the accident. The delays in blood sampling and BAC measurement in the ED were recorded for each patient. The time between the accident and access to the hospital in most cases was unknown. Results: A total of 398 patients were included in the analysis, 107 of them had BACs more than 0.05 g/L., and 86 of these individuals had BAC levels more than 0.5 g/L. Road accident patients had higher rates of positive BAC readings at night and on weekends. A significant delay in blood sampling for BAC determination was observed. Discussion: This study demonstrates a critical bias due to the arrival time at the ED and the delay in blood sampling that inevitably influences and underestimates the BAC, resulting in possible false negative results (BAC values below the cutoff). Zero tolerance or a retrospective BAC calculation could mitigate this bias. It is necessary to implement preventive strategies to reduce instances of driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol.
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz:	https://explore.openaire.eu/search/publication?articleId=doi_dedup___::89c0abeecda0bfadc8623df04196c34b https://doi.org/10.1177/00258024231154219 Zobrazit plný text záznamu