Impaired driving charges in injured impaired drivers requiring treatment in an emergency department

ABSTRACTObjective:To determine the percentage of injured impaired drivers brought to the only trauma centre in Nova Scotia who were charged with impaired driving.Methods:This retrospective observational study identified alcohol impaired drivers involved in a motor vehicle crash (MVC) brought to the emergency department (ED). Patients were selected based on blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) found to be above the legal limit. Medical records were examined to determine if the patient was the driver in an MVC. Patient records were then cross-referenced with a police database to determine the percentage of injured impaired drivers who were charged with impaired driving.Results:Between April 1, 2006, and April 1, 2008, 1,102 patients brought to the QEII Health Sciences Centre (QEII HSC) ED were found to have BACs over the legal limit. Of these patients, only 57 (5.2%) were found to have been the driver in an MVC. The majority of patients were male (49; 86%), with an average age of 32 years. Most injuries (51; 89.5%) were the result of a single-vehicle crash. The mean Glasgow Coma Scale score was 12.6, and the mean Injury Severity Score was 14.4. Cross-referencing with police records showed that only 22.8% (13 of 57) of injured drivers were charged with impaired driving. Those drivers not charged with impaired driving had a significantly lower median BAC and median age.Conclusion:During the study, the majority of alcoholimpaired drivers injured in an MVC who were brought to the QEII HSC ED for assessment of their injuries were not charged with impaired driving.</jats:sec

Perspectives in Diabetes. Neonatal beta-Cell Apoptosis. A Trigger for Autoimmune Diabetes?

W niniejszym artykule rozważamy role procesu apoptozy komórek b u noworodków w wyzwalaniu cukrzycy autoimmunologicznej. Wcześniej już wykazaliśmy, że nasilenie apoptozy komórek b występuje u zdrowych szczurów [13]. Podobne nasilenie apoptozy obserwuje się u myszy NOD oraz u szczurów BB, ze szczytem około 13. dnia życia (ryc. 2 i 3). Zapoczątkowanie procesu zapalenia wysp (insulitis) w modelu przyspieszonej cukrzycy autoimmunologicznej u myszy występuje zawsze około 15. dnia życia, bezpośrednio po znaczącym nasileniu procesu apoptozy komórek b [18&#8211;20]. Mimo ze apoptoza była uważana za proces nieaktywujący reakcji zapalnych, obecnie jest wiele prac dowodzących niezbicie, że apoptoza może wyzwalać gwałtowne reakcje układu odpornościowego [25&#8211;33, 35]. Wszystkie te dane sugerują, że fala apoptozy komórek b u noworodków może być źródłem antygenów niezbędnych do rozpoczęcia autoagresji