Should a Police Officer be able to draw blood to check for DUI??

[DJD]

Sounds like one of the more stupid things I have heard of in a long time...police already have enough stress as it is now, can you imagine them trying to find a vein?

Maybe the device for getting the patient ready err... I mean offenders can be a tazer? It's easier when they are stunned.....

[mhall]

Absolutely! In medical school they taught us that ONLY a doctor can legally "tap" a blood vessel. It is done by nurses and lab technicians but it carries with it a huge liability. Nurses and lab techs say they are covered under the doctor/hospital's license but it's not true. Most believe they are protected but let something go wrong and see how fast a doctor/hospital will tell you they didn't authorize the person to perform the procedure.

Even if a cop is taught the proper procedure for drawing blood, is he going to take the time and make sure the slanted point of the needle is correctly positioned before he goes into the vein or will he just jab? God forbid he should try it in the middle of the night on a dark road. Since medical records are confidential the cop can't legally ask a person if they have HIV/AIDS or if they are a hemophiliac or have hepatitis. Now speaking of hemophilia, once he taps the blood vessel how will he stop the hemorrhaging when it's extremely difficult for even a doctor to do it? What happens if the patient gets a staph infection in the wound because the cop didn't properly cleanse the puncture site before drawing blood or used a contaminated needle? I'm thinking of the deadly flesh eating staph infection. How many cops will it take to hold down a crazed drunk and make him be still enough to hit the vein? Once he does, what is there to keep the drunk from breaking the needle off in the vein?

Cops don't make a salary large enough to afford malpractice insurance and I've never seen a police department that could afford to pay for it on each cop. It costs thousands of dollars per year per person. IMO, the whole idea needs to be tossed or a better plan needs to be developed. Let the cops do their job of enforcing the law and let the doctors do their job of practicing medicine but don't try to merge the two.

My Mother was a Lab Tech for 30 years before retiring and YES she was covered by the Hospital she worked at. In 30 years many a finger pointing was done and the Hospital always had her back.

[Tim_T]

Absolutely! In medical school they taught us that ONLY a doctor can legally "tap" a blood vessel. It is done by nurses and lab technicians but it carries with it a huge liability. Nurses and lab techs say they are covered under the doctor/hospital's license but it's not true. Most believe they are protected but let something go wrong and see how fast a doctor/hospital will tell you they didn't authorize the person to perform the procedure.

Bug, my wife has been an RN in an emergency room for 11 years and she is covered by the hospital, it may be different where you live. We also carry malpractice insurance just in case, but never had to use it.