Citation

Platteborze PL, Wilhelms KW. Mil. Med. 2017; 182(1): e1558-e1561.

Affiliation

Department of Pathology and Area Laboratory Services, Brooke Army Medical Center, 3551 Roger Brooke Drive, JBSA-FSH, San Antonio, TX 78234.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Association of Military Surgeons of the United States)

DOI

10.7205/MILMED-D-16-00007

PMID

28051973

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively analyze multiple years of legal blood alcohol test (LBAT) results as part of a laboratory process improvement plan.

METHODS: We analyzed the LBAT requests received by the Brooke Army Medical Center during calendar years 2013 and 2014.

RESULTS: We received 365 samples from 11 installations; 351 were tested and 14 were rejected. Nearly one-third of the tested samples had negligible ethanol levels. One installation was responsible for submitting 10 rejected samples which prompted laboratory intervention.

CONCLUSION: The ability to perform timely LBATs is invaluable to the Department of Defense as the results are more readily accepted in a court of law than routine clinical ethanol test results.

Reprint & Copyright © 2017 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Language: en