Not many Sheboygan residents like going to the doctor, and likely even fewer enjoy getting shots. Needles can be scary, painful tools used on individuals for the purposes of administering drugs or vaccinations or for drawing out blood for testing. Doctors' offices and laboratories are not the only places, however, that individuals may encounter needles. Some individuals may be subjected to blood draws by needle while they are in the custody of law enforcement officials for suspected drunk driving.
Blood tests are used to determine a person's blood alcohol content. That BAC level can provide law enforcement officers evidence of intoxication for a person suspected of OWI, DUI or another alcohol-related driving offense. According to the medical database WebMD, however, an alcohol testing blood draw can be a significant medical undertaking.
Primarily, the person administering the blood draw should ensure that the draw site and the equipment to be used are clean. Infection can result when bacteria and other germs get into the wound caused by a needle stick. Additionally, the administrator of the test must stick the needle into the proper part of the person's arm in order to find a usable vein. When a careless stick is made, a person may suffer pain and be required to endure additional sticks.
Finally, the administrator must make sure that enough blood is drawn to do the required testing. If insufficient blood is drawn to do the test, then the subject of the drunk driving inquiry may have been subjected to a medical procedure that did not satisfy its intent.
A blood draw is not always a simple matter. It is an invasive medical event that takes blood from a person's body for the purposes of determining his level of intoxication. When blood alcohol tests are messed up, those subject to the tests' results may have right to limit the tests' use in their cases for drunk driving.