Georgia Blood Test
There are three chemical tests that a metro Atlanta police officer can use to determine whether or not a driver is under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs: blood, breath, or urine testing.
If the officer decides to use a blood test, he or she must transport the driver to a detention center, hospital, or clinic facility so that blood may be drawn.
It is important to note that there are several potential problems with blood tests being used to determine intoxication. If you have recently been charged with DUI after taking a blood test, all is not lost. Experienced DUI defense attorney Frank Gomez knows how to challenge blood testing.
When blood is drawn, it is typically taken from the driver via a vacutainer. As the name would suggest, these containers are vacuum-sealed. These vacutainers should contain potassium oxalate, an anticoagulant, as well as sodium fluoride, a preservative.
These vacutainers have an expiration date. After this date, the vacuum seal is no longer under warranty. The problem lies in the lack of attention paid to the expiration date by phlebotomists (the individuals who draw the blood), state crime lab employees, or police officers.
There is one company in the United States that produces the majority of vacutainers in use. Currently, they only check 1 out of every 4,000 vacutainers for quality control.
There are three potential problems with these types of blood tests. The first is having a bad seal on the vacutainer. This is impossible to detect after the blood test, as the container has already been opened.
Using an improper amount of potassium oxalate in the vial may also lead to defects. If there is not a sufficient amount of potassium oxalate, the blood can begin to coagulate. This coagulation is almost undetectable, and will change the ratio of liquid to solid in the blood sample. Because ethanol is water soluble, this can lead to an inflated test result.
Having the proper amount of sodium fluoride is also crucial to a blood test. Because vials are not routinely refrigerated on the way to the crime lab, it is important to have the right amount of sodium fluoride. Too much or too little have the potential to lead to an inflated test result.
Potassium fluoride is also important in keeping organisms from growing in the blood sample. Organisms such as Candida albicans, a yeas-like organism, may grow in the vial if there is not enough potassium fluoride. Why is this bad? Candida albicans excretes ethanol via fermentation when in the presence of warmth and glucose.
While it is important not to have too little sodium fluoride, having too much can be problematic as well. If there is too much, this will cause the blood sample to “salt out,” which leads to an inflated test result. This may also occur if the phlebotomist does not draw enough blood.
As you can see, there are many things that can go wrong with blood testing. If you have recently been asked to take a blood test and your results were high, you should contact Atlanta attorney Frank Gomez who has experience with DUI defense. Fill out our form now to setup a free initial case consultation with him.
