scholarly journals The effect of acute ingestion of alcohol at 0.05% and 0.10% blood respiratory alcohol concentration on heterophoria

2016 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvin J. Munsamy ◽  
Ryan S. Hamilton-Hoskins ◽  
Talent Bero ◽  
Philiswe P. Ximba ◽  
Daina Govender ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Red Wine ◽  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Alcohol Ingestion ◽  
Driving Under The Influence ◽  
Experimental Phase ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Acute Ingestion ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Clinically Significant

Introduction: Alcohol ingestion has a significant effect on speech, vision and coordination. The legal limit for driving under the influence in South Africa is 0.05% blood alcohol concentration (BAC), whilst intoxication is considered to occur at 0.10% BAC. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of acute alcohol ingestion of 0.05% and 0.10% blood respiratory alcohol concentration (BrAC) on heterophoria.Methodology: The effect of alcohol ingestion on the oculomotor systems of 31 subjects was the basis of this quasi-experimental quantitative study. Various parameters were compared before and after the ingestion of 10% alc red wine. The Alcoscan ALP-1 breathalyser test was used as an indicator of BrAC. Heterophoric, fusional vergence and near point of convergence (NPC) measurements were measured during an experimental phase at 0.05% and 0.10% BrAC levels and a control phase at a 0% BrAC.Results: Mean changes in heterophoria for distance showed an increase of 1.13∆ ± 1.34∆ and 2.19∆ ± 1.70∆ towards esophoria at a BrAC of 0.05% and 0.10% respectively. At near, the results showed a mean increase of 0.84∆ ± 1.75∆ and 0.97∆ ± 1.70∆ towards exophoria at a BrAC of 0.05% and 0.10% respectively. There was a further mean decrease in the positive and negative fusional vergences as well as receded NPC break and recovery measurements at 0.05% and 0.10% BAC.Conclusion: It can be concluded that a BrAC of 0.05% has a minimal effect on heterophoria. However, at a BrAC of 0.1% there is a significant effect on heterophoria, fusional vergences and the NPC. This may or may not be clinically significant.

scholarly journals The effect of lowering the legal blood alcohol concentration limit on driving under the influence (DUI) in southern Taiwan: a cross-sectional retrospective analysis

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e026481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Chin Tsai ◽  
Shao-Chun Wu ◽  
Jin-Fu Huang ◽  
Spencer C H Kuo ◽  
Cheng-Shyuan Rau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Driving Under The Influence ◽  
Concentration Limit ◽  
Blood Alcohol ◽  
Helmet Use ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Southern Taiwan ◽  
Car Crashes ◽  
Motorcycle Crashes

ObjectivesWe aimed to profile the epidemiological changes of driving under the influence (DUI) in southern Taiwan after the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit was lowered from 50 to 30 mg/dL in 2013.SettingLevel 1 trauma medical centre in southern Taiwan.ParticipantsData from 7447 patients (4375 males and 3072 females) were retrieved from the trauma registry system of a single trauma centre to examine patient characteristics (gender, age and BAC), clinical outcome variables (Abbreviated Injury Score, Injury Severity Score and mortality) and vehicular crash-related factors (vehicle type, airbag use in car crashes, helmet use in motorcycle crashes and time of crash) before and after the BAC limit change.ResultsOur results indicated that the percentage of DUI patients significantly declined from 10.99% (n=373) to 6.64% (n=269) after the BAC limit was lowered. Airbag use in car crashes (OR: 0.30, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.88, p=0.007) and helmet use in motorcycle crashes (OR: 0.20, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.26, p<0.001) was lower in DUI patients compared with non-DUI patients after the BAC limit change, with significant negative correlation. DUI behaviour increased crash mortality risk before the BAC limit change (OR: 4.33, 95% CI 2.20 to 8.54), and even more so after (OR: 5.60, 95% CI 3.16 to 9.93). The difference in ORs for mortality before and after the change in the BAC legal limit was not significant (p=0.568).ConclusionThis study revealed that lowering the BAC limit to 30 mg/dL significantly reduced the number of DUI events, but failed to result in a significant reduction in mortality in these trauma patients.

scholarly journals Comparison of the effect of lemborexant and other insomnia treatments on driving performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather McElroy ◽  
Beth O’Leary ◽  
Michael Adena ◽  
Renee Campbell ◽  
Amir Abbas Tahami Monfared ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Volunteers ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Lateral Position ◽  
Driving Performance ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Driving Under The Influence ◽  
Clinical Trial Registries ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Study Objectives This systematic literature review and meta-analysis explored the impact of lemborexant and other insomnia treatments on next-day driving performance. Methods Searches were conducted in MEDLINE ® and Embase ® on 16 May 2019, supplemented by clinical trial registries. Randomized controlled trials in healthy volunteers or people with insomnia were included if they reported a standardized on-road driving test, were published in English and included ≥1 group receiving a recommended dose of flunitrazepam, estazolam, triazolam, temazepam, brotizolam, etizolam, alprazolam, lorazepam, zolpidem, eszopiclone, zaleplon, zopiclone, trazodone, ramelteon, lemborexant, or suvorexant. Pairwise random-effects meta-analyses used the difference between each active treatment and placebo in standard deviation of lateral position (ΔSDLP). ΔSDLP of +2.4 cm, established as equivalent to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05%, was considered clinically significant. Results Fourteen studies were included. Clinically significant differences in ΔSDLP were shown in healthy volunteers for zopiclone (10/10 studies) and ramelteon (1/1 study), and in people with insomnia for flunitrazepam (2/3 studies). Premature test termination was reported most frequently for zopiclone (5/10 studies) and was reported in two subjects for suvorexant (1/2 studies), one for flunitrazepam (1/3 studies) and one for placebo (1/12 studies). Lemborexant had no statistically or clinically significant ΔSDLP, and no premature driving test terminations. Conclusions Zopiclone, flunitrazepam and ramelteon were associated with impaired driving performance, similar to driving under the influence of alcohol. Premature test termination was reported most frequently for zopiclone, and also for suvorexant, flunitrazepam and placebo. Lemborexant had no statistically or clinically significant effect on driving performance.

4. Are a Blood Alcohol Concentration of 256mg/dl and Minimal Signs of Impairment Reliable Indications of Alcohol Dependence?

1994 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
A W Jones
Keyword(s):  
Expert Witness ◽  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Drunk Driving ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Driving Under The Influence ◽  
Blood Alcohol ◽  
Lower Court ◽  
Dna Profile ◽  
Court Of Appeals ◽  
Driving Scenario

This article describes a drink-driving scenario where a woman was apprehended for driving under the influence (DUI) with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 256mg/dl1 The correctness of this result was vigorously challenged by a medical expert witness for the defence, who was actually a specialist in alcohol diseases. Despite reanalysis to confirm the BAC as well as a DNA profile to prove the identity of the blood specimen, the woman was acquitted of the charge of drunk driving by the lower court. However, she was subsequently found guilty in the High Court of Appeals with a unanimous decision and sentenced to four weeks imprisonment. This case report illustrates some of the problems surrounding the use of expert medical evidence by the defence to challenge the validity of the prosecution evidence based solely on a suspect's BAC. In situations such as these, an expert witness should be called by the prosecution to clarify and, if necessary, rebut medical and/or scientific opinions that might mislead the court and influence the outcome of the trial.

scholarly journals Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Relationship of Alcohol-Related Injury and Perceived Driving Under the Influence from Hours of Exposure to High Blood Alcohol Concentration: Data From Four US National Alcohol Surveys (2000–2015)

2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 564-570
Author(s):  
Cheryl J Cherpitel ◽  
Edwina Williams ◽  
Yu Ye ◽  
William C Kerr
Keyword(s):  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Driving Under The Influence ◽  
Blood Alcohol ◽  
Concentration Data ◽  
Predicted Probability ◽  
Exposure Levels ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Abstract Aims To analyze racial/ethnic disparities in risk of two alcohol-related events, alcohol-related injury and self-reported perceived driving under the influence (DUI) from hours of exposure to an elevated blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Methods Risk curves for the predicted probability of these two outcomes from the number of hours of exposure to a BAC ≥ 0.08 mg% in the past year were analyzed separately for whites, blacks and Hispanics in a merged sample of respondents from four US National Alcohol Surveys (2000–2015). Results Hours of exposure to a BAC ≥ 0.08 showed a stronger association with perceived DUI than with alcohol-related injury for all racial/ethnic groups. Greater risk was found for whites than blacks or Hispanics for outcomes at nearly all BAC exposure levels, and most marked at the highest level of exposure. Risk of both outcomes was significant for whites at all exposure levels, but small for alcohol-related injury. Little association was found for alcohol-related injury for blacks or Hispanics. For perceived DUI, risk for blacks was significantly elevated at lower levels of exposure, while risk for Hispanics was significantly elevated beginning at 30 h of exposure. Conclusions Findings showed racial/ethnic differences in risk of alcohol-related injury and perceived DUI from hours of exposure to elevated BAC. Risk increased at relatively low levels of exposure to a BAC ≥ 0.08, especially for whites, highlighting the importance of preventive efforts to reduce harmful outcomes for moderate drinkers.

scholarly journals Improving the Recording of Diagnoses in Primary Care with Team Incentives: A Controlled Longitudinal Follow-Up Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Tuomo Lehtovuori ◽  
Timo Kauppila ◽  
Jouko Kallio ◽  
Anna M. Heikkinen ◽  
Marko Raina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
Interrupted Time Series Analysis ◽  
Follow Up Study ◽  
Primary Care Teams ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Made In

Introduction. We studied whether primary care teams respond to financial group bonuses by improving the recording of diagnoses, whether this intervention leads to diagnoses reflecting the anticipated distribution of diseases, and how the recording of a significant chronic disease, diabetes, alters after the application of these bonuses. Methods. We performed an observational register-based retrospective quasi-experimental follow-up study with before-and-after setting and two control groups in primary healthcare of a Finnish town. We studied the rate of recorded diagnoses in visits to general practitioners with interrupted time series analysis. The distribution of these diagnoses was also recorded. Results. After group bonuses, the rate of recording diagnoses increased by 17.9% (95% CI: 13.6–22.3) but not in either of the controls (−2.0 to −0.3%). The increase in the rate of recorded diagnoses in the care teams varied between 14.9% (4.7–25.2) and 33.7% (26.6–41.3). The distribution of recorded diagnoses resembled the respective distribution of diagnoses in the former studies of diagnoses made in primary care. The rate of recorded diagnoses of diabetes did not increase just after the intervention. Conclusions. In primary care, the completeness of diagnosis recording can be, to varying degrees, influenced by group bonuses without guarantee that recording of clinically significant chronic diseases is improved.

Everything Is Bigger in Texas: Alcohol Impaired Driving in Houston (2014–2018)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corissa Rodgers ◽  
Melissa Lloyd ◽  
Peter Stout ◽  
Dayong Lee
Keyword(s):  
Public Safety ◽  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Driving Under The Influence ◽  
Science Center ◽  
Impaired Driving ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Drug Concentrations ◽  
Populations At Risk ◽  
Alcohol Impaired Driving

Abstract Driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) poses a continued public safety risk in Texas, which has one of the highest alcohol impaired traffic fatality rates. This study aimed to identify alcohol and drug use trends seen in DWI/DUID cases in the city of Houston from 2014 to 2018 to better understand the populations at risk. Blood samples submitted to the Houston Forensic Science Center (HFSC) were evaluated for blood alcohol concentration (BAC), drug concentrations and demographics. During the 5-year period, 12,682 Houston driver blood samples had a mean (median) BAC of 0.151 g/dL (0.167 g/dL) and age of 36.3 (34) years. Fifty percent of samples were white males. Seventy-five percent of samples were individuals aged 21 to 44 years. Between 2014 and 2018, the number of cases submitted nearly doubled, from approximately 2,000 cases per year to over 3,700. In 2014, 23% of cases submitted required further analysis per HFSC testing policy (drug screen and confirmation for DWI/DUID cases when BAC &lt; 0.100 g/dL), which rose to 27% by 2018. Of those, 36% were polydrug cases, requiring two or more confirmation tests. Cannabinoids was the most common drug class detected (34% of cases analyzed for drugs), followed by benzodiazepines (25%), phencyclidine (20%), cocaine/metabolites (15%) and opioids (12%). Phencyclidine rose from the fifth-most commonly detected drug in 2014 to the second-most drug in 2018. Only 3% of all cases (n = 408) were negative for both alcohol and drugs. Communication between law enforcement and laboratory management is recommended to address growing caseload more effectively. The study limitations (e.g., limited scope of analysis) suggest the present data underestimated the full extent of impaired driving in Houston, indicating even more urgent needs for increasing resources and efforts to reduce this serious threat to public safety.

scholarly journals Differences between attendance in emergency care of male and female victims of traffic accidents in Porto alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 3925-3930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel Forgiarini Saldanha ◽  
Flavio Pechansky ◽  
Daniela Benzano ◽  
Carlos Alberto Sampaio Martins de Barros ◽  
Raquel Brandini De Boni
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Care ◽  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Driving Under The Influence ◽  
Porto Alegre ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Significant Difference

Driving under the influence of alcohol/ drugs (DUI) is a well-established risk factor for traffic accidents, and men and women have different consumption patterns. The scope of this paper is to analyze differences in alcohol and drug consumption, as well as on behavior associated with traffic accidents among men and women. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 609 sequential traffic accident victims attended in emergency care from Porto Alegre. Subjects gave a structured interview, were breathalyzed and had a saliva test for alcohol/drug screening. Results showed that women were mainly passengers or pedestrians (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in positive blood alcohol concentration. However, men reported more binge drinking and THC use, while women had more benzodiazepine in their saliva (p<0.05). This is the first Brazilian study to compare alcohol and drug use among men and women who were the victims of traffic accidents. Results point to differences in the pattern of substance abuse, as well on risk behavior. Data may be useful for specific prevention strategies that take gender differences into consideration.

scholarly journals Iron and Orange Extract on Hemoglobin among Anemic Pregnant Women in Nusa Tenggara Barat in 2018

2020 ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Shinta Novelia ◽  
Ariati Dewi ◽  
Sri Melinasari ◽  
Retno Widowati ◽  
Bunga Tiara Carolin
Keyword(s):  
Iron Deficiency ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Women Nurses ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
And Control

Iron deficiency is the most common pathologic cause of anemia among pregnant women. Pregnant women with clinically significant iron deficiency may present with fatigue, weakness, pallor, tachycardia, and shortness of breath. An intervention is needed to improve hemoglobin among anemic pregnant women. This study aimed to analyze the effect of iron with orange extract on hemoglobin among anemic pregnant women in the Brang Rea health centers, Sumbawa Barat Regency, Nusa Tenggara Barat Province in 2017. The design was a quasi-experimental study. The population was 30 pregnant women who were anemic at the Brang Rea health center. A total population was used for sampling technique. Thirty anemic pregnant women were divided into the experiment and control group without randomization. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The results showed that there was a significant difference in hemoglobin before and after the intervention (p = 0.001, t = -21.1), and there was a significant difference in hemoglobin between the experimental group and the control group (p = 0.001, t = 5.19). Consuming iron, together with orange extract, could increase hemoglobin among anemic pregnant women. Nurses and midwives need to share health education about the way to consume iron to prevent anemia among pregnant women.

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