Every day, patients here in Tennessee and across the U.S. seek treatment at clinics and hospitals for what they believe to be run-of-the-mill illnesses only to be caught completely off guard by the news that they are suffering from a medical condition of which they have little or no knowledge, and which can have serious health ramifications.
By way of illustration, consider the rather surreal case of a woman who was taken to the hospital after a DUI arrest and later learned that her body actually produces its own supply of alcohol.
In the fall of 2014, a woman and her husband met for food and drinks at a restaurant in Upstate New York with the woman consuming four alcoholic beverages over a six-hour period, meaning less than one drink per hour.
The woman and her husband parted ways thereafter, and she got a flat tire close to home. Rather than stopping to change the tire, however, she attempted to make it home with the struggling vehicle.
The police ultimately pull her over after receiving calls from concerned citizens and, after administering a blood alcohol test, they don’t find that her blood alcohol content is somewhere between 0.01 and 0.05, the anticipated range based on her alcohol consumption, size and weight.
Instead, they find that her blood alcohol content is an astonishing 0.33.
She is subsequently arrested for drunk driving and, in accordance with police procedure, taken to an area hospital for treatment given that a blood alcohol content in this range can be life threatening. Unbelievably, medical professionals there seek to discharge her shortly after admission. The reason? She is showing no symptoms of intoxication.
We’ll continue discussing this fascinating case in our next post, including learning more about something called auto-brewery syndrome.
If you have been charged with driving under the influence, consider speaking with an experienced legal professional who can examine the circumstances surrounding your arrest and fight to protect your rights.
