DRE Data Analysis & Reporting 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When documenting a DRE evaluation, which vital sign measurement is MOST critical to record with a specific numeric value rather than a qualitative descriptor?
- Blood pressure
- Pulse rate
- Body temperature
- Pupil size (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Pupil size
Pupil size must be recorded in millimeters under specific lighting conditions because it is a primary diagnostic indicator differentiating drug categories.
Question 2: A DRE officer notices inconsistencies between field evaluation data and the toxicology results. What is the BEST course of action?
- Amend the report to match toxicology findings
- Document the discrepancy and provide a detailed explanation in the report (Correct answer)
- Discard the toxicology results if clinical indicators were clear
- File a supplemental report omitting the original findings
Correct answer: Document the discrepancy and provide a detailed explanation in the report
Documenting discrepancies transparently preserves report integrity and may reflect polydrug use, tolerance, or metabolite timing issues.
Question 3: In DRE reporting, the term 'normal' for pulse rate applies to readings within which range?
- 50–70 bpm
- 60–90 bpm (Correct answer)
- 70–100 bpm
- 80–110 bpm
Correct answer: 60–90 bpm
The IACP DRE protocol defines a normal resting pulse rate as 60–90 beats per minute for adult subjects.
Question 4: Which statistical concept best describes comparing an individual subject's DRE indicators against established drug category symptom profiles?
- Regression analysis
- Pattern recognition against normative data (Correct answer)
- Cohort variance calculation
- Longitudinal trend mapping
Correct answer: Pattern recognition against normative data
DRE analysis relies on comparing observed indicators against established normative patterns for each of the seven drug categories.
Question 5: A subject's blood pressure is recorded as 158/102 mmHg during a DRE evaluation. This reading is MOST consistent with impairment by which category?
- CNS depressants
- Narcotic analgesics
- CNS stimulants (Correct answer)
- Inhalants
Correct answer: CNS stimulants
CNS stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine typically elevate both systolic and diastolic blood pressure significantly above normal ranges.
Question 6: When completing a DRE Drug Influence Evaluation Report, at what point should the evaluating officer record the subject's statements?
- Only after toxicology confirmation
- Contemporaneously during or immediately after each phase (Correct answer)
- At the conclusion of the full 12-step evaluation
- Only if the subject voluntarily waives Miranda rights
Correct answer: Contemporaneously during or immediately after each phase
Contemporaneous documentation ensures accuracy and demonstrates that statements were not fabricated or reconstructed after the fact.
Question 7: Which of the following data points from a DRE report would be MOST useful to an epidemiologist studying regional drug impairment trends?
- Subject's driving behavior description
- Drug category opinion rendered by the DRE (Correct answer)
- Officer's badge number
- Location of the traffic stop
Correct answer: Drug category opinion rendered by the DRE
Aggregated drug category opinions allow epidemiologists to identify which substance classes are most prevalent in impaired driving incidents across regions.
DRE Data Analysis & Reporting 2
When documenting a DRE evaluation, which vital sign measurement is MOST critical to record with a specific numeric value rather than a qualitative descriptor?