A clinical investigation into the ability of subjects with lung disease to provide breath specimens using the EvidenzerIRL evidential breath analyser in alcohol intoxicant driving in criminal justice evidence.

The EvidenzerIRL instrument has been in use as an evidential breath analyser in the application of drink driving laws in the Republic of Ireland since 2011. The result of the analysis is used as evidence in prosecutions before the Courts in per se offences of driving under the influence of alcohol as distinct from screening results at the roadside. This study aims to assist doctors, lawyers and judges in assessing drivers' failure to provide valid evidential breath specimens.

COVID-19 pandemic: Coroner's database of death inquiries with clinical epidemiology and total and excess mortality analyses in the District of Kildare March to June 2020.

All Covid-19 deaths and all nursing home and residential home deaths in Ireland must by law be reported to the Coroner, the independent Judicial Officer of the State, in the District in which they occur. This enables accurate and early collation of these death reports. Between January 1, 2015 and June 30, 2020 3342 deaths were reported to the Coroner's District for Kildare.

A clinical investigation into the ability of subjects with a lung disease to provide breath specimens using the Dräger 6510.

In the enforcement of drink driving laws failing to provide a breath specimen for alcohol analysis at the roadside when requested by a Police Officer is an offence in many countries. Some drivers claim that a lung disease prevented their ability to be successful. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the presence of a lung disease and the ability to provide a successful breath specimen using the Dräger 6510 screening device.

Repatriation of human remains following death in international travellers.

Background: Death during international travel and the repatriation of human remains to one's home country is a distressing and expensive process. Much organization is required involving close liaison between various agencies.

Methods: A review of the literature was conducted using the PubMed database.

The case for a cost-effective central coronial database following an analysis of coronial records relating to deaths in nursing homes.

In order to demonstrate the potential wider epidemiological application of the data held in coroners' files, this paper uses an analysis of nursing home deaths reported to the coroner in County Kildare, Ireland. We examine the deaths in relation to ages, primary causes of death and rates of post-mortem examination. Knowing that Europe's population is increasing in age, the analyses presented here show the type of information that could be made available relating to certain population cohorts.

Maternal brain death, pregnancy and the foetus: the medico-legal implications for Ireland.

This paper examines some of the medico-legal issues that arose as a result of a situation which occurred in May 2001 in Ireland when a woman who was a British citizen and who was fourteen weeks pregnant collapsed and suffered a brain haemorrhage. She was taken to hospital where she was placed on life support but declared brain-dead. As a result of the uncertainty regarding the hospital's obligation to the foetus, life-support was maintained until further opinion was sought.