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State requirements for physicians to report patients who have lapses of consciousness to Departments of Motor Vehicles are controversial, variable, and not always explicit. Unfortunately, little guidance is available to help physicians interpret the laws. These authors characterized reporting patterns among emergency physicians in California — a state that requires mandatory reporting of any lapse of consciousness.
The authors mailed anonymous questionnaires to a representative sample of 340 EPs in California; 61% responded. The survey described 14 clinical scenarios, including new-onset seizure, hypoglycemia, atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response, stroke, vasovagal syncope, and alcohol intoxication. Among the 14 scenarios, new…