Problems of Forensic Sciences 2003 Vol. 54 (LIV) 137-147
THE CORRELATION BETWEEN BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL AND CLINICAL SIGNS OF INTOXICATION AMONG PERSONS STAYING IN A SOBERING UNIT
Hubert SZATNY, Jakub TRNKA
Chair and Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University, Wrocław
Streszczenie
Evaluation of the degree of intoxication on the basis of a medical examination has a subjective character and may be burdened with a high level of error. In this study an attempt to find a correlation between the degree of intoxication by ethanol evaluated on the basis of a subjective medical examination and on the basis of alcohol level determined by objective laboratory testing is presented. Data concerning people staying in a sobering unit were also studied: the number of patients, their age, frequency of visits to a sobering unit and the correlation between psychomotor disturbances and blood alcohol level. A significant divergence between clinical and laboratory evaluation of degree of intoxication was found. The legal basis for the functioning of sobering units and an organisation flow chart are also presented.
Słowa kluczowe
Ethyl alcohol; Intoxication; Sobering units; State of inebriation.