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Objectives: The purpose of this investigation was to compare the drinking patterns and experiences (both positive and negative) among DUI offenders who had installed an ignition interlock. The association between those experiences and interlock performance as measured by the number of times they had a lockout, was also assessed.Methods: Over 300 DUI offenders who installed an interlock in the State of Florida were recruited and completed an on-line survey at the beginning and end of their interlock restriction. A record of the interlock performance data from each was downloaded and used to determine how many lockouts they experienced during their interlock restriction period. Offenders were defined into two groups; successful cases (having 0 or 1 lockout) or poor performers (have 2 or more lockouts). Chi-square and binary regressions were used to assess differences between groups.Results: Poor performers reported significantly more drinking and were more likely to drink in a context of emotional comfort, yet they were more likely to report positive experiences with the interlock, especially as to its ability to remind them to avoid another DUI by reducing their drinking and driving. No difference was found between these two groups for the interlock's ability to reduce drinking.Conclusions: People with a more serious drinking pattern and who may be most at risk for recidivating may be more inclined to recognize the potential benefits of the interlock as a DUI preventive countermeasure. More research is needed to identify and influence high risk DUI offenders while on the interlock to increase its effectiveness once the interlock is removed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigative study was performed to compare the results from two mycology laboratories for the diagnosis of onychomycosis in a geriatric population and to determine the possible pharmacologic treatments based on the two laboratories' results. In this study, 85 cases of suspected onychomycosis involving men and women 65 years and older from a nursing home setting in South Florida were used. Samples were taken from the hallux toenail and sent to two different mycology laboratories for fluorescent potassium hydroxide preparation and microscopic examination of a fungal culture. Of the 85 cases studied, the two mycology laboratories reported similar potassium hydroxide preparation results for 58.8% of the patients and similar fungal culture results for genus and species identification for 37.6% of the patients. When the potassium hydroxide preparation and fungal culture results were combined, the two mycology laboratories reported similar results for only 27.1% of the patients. As a result of the two mycology laboratories' findings, the possible US Food and Drug Administration-approved pharmacologic treatments may differ for 43.5% of the patients studied. The discrepancy between the two independent laboratories leaves physicians to question the reproducibility of fluorescent potassium hydroxide preparation and fungal culture analysis in a geriatric patient population for the diagnosis of onychomycosis.