Blood from a line - Is it admissible?
The Police Reform Act 2002 enables blood to be lawfully taken from any driver who has been involved in a road traffic accident, who lacks the capacity to consent as a result of a medical problem or injury, and who may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Consent at the time is not required but must be obtained at a later date. Experience of forensic physicians suggest obtaining blood directly from a vein, as the Act requires, can sometimes be technically difficult in an intensive care setting. The case described discusses one such scenario and puts forward the reasons as to why blood from a line should be accepted as evidence.
Beaumont
Guy
G
guybeaum@aol.com
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000097:blood; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010819:Physician's Role; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000379:methods; D006113:United Kingdom
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol