Law Enforcement Medical Knowledge...?

[Guest guest]

I teach the Medical Assistance portion for the Law Enforcement Course at

Southwest Texas Jr. College in Uvalde. I make it a habit to always

differentiate between alcohol intoxication and diabetic complications, head

injury, etc.

Having responded to the " drunk " who is now unconscious at the jail " has

given me plenty of " ammo " when discussing this to the class. I also mention it

in detail in all levels of my teaching for EMS. I've had Law Enforcement

Officers thank me for the information and the eye-opener.

Debbie Breiten NREMT-I, A.A.S

Asst. Program Director

San College

EMS Academy

[Guest guest]

Do law enforcement officers recieve the appropriate training required

to recongnize the difference between an intoxicated person and

someone with DKA? Do you belive that they have the knowledge/training

to tell the differnce between someone who has an altered mental

status, and someone who is suffering from a medical condition? Just

wondering is all...

[Guest guest]

We were made aware of it in police academy. They may go into more

information about it FST(field sobriety test) school.

Law Enforcement Medical Knowledge...?

Do law enforcement officers recieve the appropriate training required

to recongnize the difference between an intoxicated person and

someone with DKA? Do you belive that they have the knowledge/training

to tell the differnce between someone who has an altered mental

status, and someone who is suffering from a medical condition? Just

wondering is all...

[Guest guest]

We were made aware of it in police academy. They may go into more

information about it FST(field sobriety test) school.

Law Enforcement Medical Knowledge...?

Do law enforcement officers recieve the appropriate training required

to recongnize the difference between an intoxicated person and

someone with DKA? Do you belive that they have the knowledge/training

to tell the differnce between someone who has an altered mental

status, and someone who is suffering from a medical condition? Just

wondering is all...

[Guest guest]

While not a police officer, I am a certified breath alcohol tech because

one of my job duties where I worrk it to administer BAT's ( as a part of my

company's drug testing policy which does cover reasonbable suspicion

testing). During the certification course DKA was covered as well as other

medical conditions that alter mental status. Bottom line was that just

because a person seemed drunk didn't always mean that they were, and to

always err on the side of caution and have a person examined by a doc if

there is any doubt whatso ever.

Crosby

EMT-B abd Luvin It.

Law Enforcement Medical Knowledge...?

>

> Do law enforcement officers recieve the appropriate training required

> to recongnize the difference between an intoxicated person and

> someone with DKA? Do you belive that they have the knowledge/training

> to tell the differnce between someone who has an altered mental

> status, and someone who is suffering from a medical condition? Just

> wondering is all...

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

In my experience in the police academy as a paramedic, I would have

to say that a law enforcement officer definately does not recieve

the " appropriate training " . During the class time involving

intoxication, both Field Sobriety Testing for DWI and determining if

a person can be charged with public intoxication, we were advised of

the possibilty of another cause of the erratic behavior (ie:

diabetes, head injury...etc), but not necessarily how to determine

the specific cause. The instructors just wanted to make sure that we

were aware that a " real " medical condition could be confused as

intoxication. They stated that when in doubt, notify EMS for

evaluation.

>

> Do law enforcement officers recieve the appropriate training

required

> to recongnize the difference between an intoxicated person and

> someone with DKA? Do you belive that they have the

knowledge/training

> to tell the differnce between someone who has an altered mental

> status, and someone who is suffering from a medical condition? Just

> wondering is all...

[Guest guest]

The answer is not very encouraging. Some do, some don't. All depends upon

what academy the person went to.

Big city, big state academies probably do a better job than the regional

academies, but not necessarily.

Most small town cops have been to regional police academies where the

subject is taught by law enforcement officers who normally do not have medical

training, although one encounters the occasional cop who is also an EMT and even

a very few who are paramedics.

When I was district attorney I continually encountered cases where law

enforcement had made the wrong determinations about lots of stuff. I

encountered

many cases where a certain person had been charged because of the officer's

particular mindset, not because there was reliable evidence to back up the

charge.

I remember once when I was on my way to work I drove up on a Texas Highway

Patrol officer who was about to take a little old man to jail for DWI. I

stopped to see what was going on and within about a minute became suspicious

that

the guy wasn't drunk at all but a diabetic in hypoglycemia. Sure enough

that was the case, and I got the officer to transport him a couple of miles

down

the road to the hospital where this was confirmed, he was given some glucose

and left 100% in control of himself. He might have died in jail.

That officer had been taught about diabetics but simply didn't recognize the

difference because of his particular mindset, which was " death to drunk

drivers. " He got a good lesson that morning.

Gene G.

In a message dated 6/10/2004 11:23:10 AM Central Daylight Time,

txbasic@... writes:

Do law enforcement officers recieve the appropriate training required

to recognizee the difference between an intoxicated person and

someone with DKA? Do you believe that they have the knowledge/training

to tell the difference between someone who has an altered mental

status, and someone who is suffering from a medical condition? Just

wondering is all...

[Guest guest]

The answer is not very encouraging. Some do, some don't. All depends upon

what academy the person went to.

Big city, big state academies probably do a better job than the regional

academies, but not necessarily.

Most small town cops have been to regional police academies where the

subject is taught by law enforcement officers who normally do not have medical

training, although one encounters the occasional cop who is also an EMT and even

a very few who are paramedics.

When I was district attorney I continually encountered cases where law

enforcement had made the wrong determinations about lots of stuff. I

encountered

many cases where a certain person had been charged because of the officer's

particular mindset, not because there was reliable evidence to back up the

charge.

I remember once when I was on my way to work I drove up on a Texas Highway

Patrol officer who was about to take a little old man to jail for DWI. I

stopped to see what was going on and within about a minute became suspicious

that

the guy wasn't drunk at all but a diabetic in hypoglycemia. Sure enough

that was the case, and I got the officer to transport him a couple of miles

down

the road to the hospital where this was confirmed, he was given some glucose

and left 100% in control of himself. He might have died in jail.

That officer had been taught about diabetics but simply didn't recognize the

difference because of his particular mindset, which was " death to drunk

drivers. " He got a good lesson that morning.

Gene G.

In a message dated 6/10/2004 11:23:10 AM Central Daylight Time,

txbasic@... writes:

Do law enforcement officers recieve the appropriate training required

to recognizee the difference between an intoxicated person and

someone with DKA? Do you believe that they have the knowledge/training

to tell the difference between someone who has an altered mental

status, and someone who is suffering from a medical condition? Just

wondering is all...

[Guest guest]

The answer is not very encouraging. Some do, some don't. All depends upon

what academy the person went to.

Big city, big state academies probably do a better job than the regional

academies, but not necessarily.

Most small town cops have been to regional police academies where the

subject is taught by law enforcement officers who normally do not have medical

training, although one encounters the occasional cop who is also an EMT and even

a very few who are paramedics.

When I was district attorney I continually encountered cases where law

enforcement had made the wrong determinations about lots of stuff. I

encountered

many cases where a certain person had been charged because of the officer's

particular mindset, not because there was reliable evidence to back up the

charge.

I remember once when I was on my way to work I drove up on a Texas Highway

Patrol officer who was about to take a little old man to jail for DWI. I

stopped to see what was going on and within about a minute became suspicious

that

the guy wasn't drunk at all but a diabetic in hypoglycemia. Sure enough

that was the case, and I got the officer to transport him a couple of miles

down

the road to the hospital where this was confirmed, he was given some glucose

and left 100% in control of himself. He might have died in jail.

That officer had been taught about diabetics but simply didn't recognize the

difference because of his particular mindset, which was " death to drunk

drivers. " He got a good lesson that morning.

Gene G.

In a message dated 6/10/2004 11:23:10 AM Central Daylight Time,

txbasic@... writes:

Do law enforcement officers recieve the appropriate training required

to recognizee the difference between an intoxicated person and

someone with DKA? Do you believe that they have the knowledge/training

to tell the difference between someone who has an altered mental

status, and someone who is suffering from a medical condition? Just

wondering is all...