DRE DRE Field Sobriety & Vital Signs 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the DRE 12-step protocol, the 'dark room examination' is conducted primarily to assess what?
- Reaction time
- Pupil size and reaction to light (Correct answer)
- Muscle rigidity
- Coordination under stress
Correct answer: Pupil size and reaction to light
The dark room examination allows the DRE to measure pupil size under three lighting conditions (dark, indirect, direct light) to identify drug-related abnormalities.
Question 2: What pupil size range (in millimeters) is generally considered normal under room light conditions for a DRE evaluation?
- 1–2 mm
- 3–6.5 mm (Correct answer)
- 7–8 mm
- 8–9 mm
Correct answer: 3–6.5 mm
Normal pupil size under room light is approximately 3 to 6.5 mm; sizes outside this range may indicate drug influence on the autonomic nervous system.
Question 3: The Walk-and-Turn test is classified as a 'divided attention' test because it requires the subject to do what simultaneously?
- Listen to music and walk
- Follow instructions while performing physical tasks (Correct answer)
- Count backward while balancing
- Read aloud and walk in a circle
Correct answer: Follow instructions while performing physical tasks
Divided attention tests require processing verbal instructions while simultaneously executing physical movements, mimicking the cognitive demands of safe driving.
Question 4: Which DRE vital sign finding is most consistent with opiate/narcotic analgesic use?
- Elevated pulse, elevated temperature
- Depressed pulse, normal or low temperature (Correct answer)
- Normal pulse, extreme hypertension
- Rapid respiration, hyperthermia
Correct answer: Depressed pulse, normal or low temperature
Narcotic analgesics cause CNS and cardiovascular depression, manifesting as a slowed pulse rate and often normal to subnormal body temperature.
Question 5: During the finger-to-nose test in the DRE protocol, which finding is specifically noted as significant?
- Whether the subject can count backward
- The angle and accuracy of each finger-to-nose touch (Correct answer)
- The speed at which each touch is performed
- Whether eyelids flutter during the test
Correct answer: The angle and accuracy of each finger-to-nose touch
The DRE records which finger is used, which nostril is touched, and accuracy of contact, as missing or imprecise touches indicate neurological impairment.
Question 6: Respiration rate above 20 breaths per minute (tachypnea) in a DRE evaluation is most commonly associated with which drug category?
- CNS depressants
- Narcotic analgesics
- Cannabis
- CNS stimulants (Correct answer)
Correct answer: CNS stimulants
CNS stimulants increase sympathetic activity and metabolic rate, which elevates respiratory rate along with pulse and blood pressure.
DRE DRE Field Sobriety & Vital Signs 2
In the DRE 12-step protocol, the 'dark room examination' is conducted primarily to assess what?