Serhat Koyuncu1, Oguzhan Bol2, Tamer Ertan3, Nurullah Günay4, Halil İbrahim Akdogan5. 1. Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University, Medicine of Faculty, Emergency Medicine Department, Tokat, Turkey. Electronic address: dr_serhats@hotmail.com. 2. Kayseri Training and Research Hospital, Emergency Medicine, Kayseri, Turkey. 3. Kayseri Training and Research Hospital, General Surgery Clinic, Kayseri, Turkey. 4. Erciyes University, Medicine of Faculty, Emergency Medicine Department, Kayseri, Turkey. 5. Tokat State Hospital, Emergency Department, Tokat, Turkey.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the world. Our primary objective was to identify and treat individuals who are unaware of their exposure to carbon monoxide in emergency departments (EDs). Our secondary goal was to reduce the costs of diagnosis and treatment by preventing unnecessary diagnostic testing in EDs. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels of patients presented with the signs of CO poisoning to the Emergency Department of Kayseri Training and Research Hospital between November 2012 and May 2013 were noninvasively measured during triage. Patients with elevated COHb levels were suspected of CO poisoning and subjected to further investigation. RESULTS: A total of 4073 patients were enrolled in the study, and 106 (2.6%) of them were diagnosed with CO poisoning. Initial evaluation revealed headache to be the most common presenting complaint in patients with occult CO poisoning. Further evaluations to determine the accuracy of noninvasive measurements showed that noninvasive pulse CO-oxymeter and arterial blood gas (ABG) measurement were compatible. CONCLUSIONS: The use of noninvasive pulse CO-oxymeter might reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with occult CO poisoning in patients presented with suspected CO poisoning in emergency settings.
OBJECTIVES:Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the world. Our primary objective was to identify and treat individuals who are unaware of their exposure to carbon monoxide in emergency departments (EDs). Our secondary goal was to reduce the costs of diagnosis and treatment by preventing unnecessary diagnostic testing in EDs. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels of patients presented with the signs of CO poisoning to the Emergency Department of Kayseri Training and Research Hospital between November 2012 and May 2013 were noninvasively measured during triage. Patients with elevated COHb levels were suspected of CO poisoning and subjected to further investigation. RESULTS: A total of 4073 patients were enrolled in the study, and 106 (2.6%) of them were diagnosed with CO poisoning. Initial evaluation revealed headache to be the most common presenting complaint in patients with occult CO poisoning. Further evaluations to determine the accuracy of noninvasive measurements showed that noninvasive pulse CO-oxymeter and arterial blood gas (ABG) measurement were compatible. CONCLUSIONS: The use of noninvasive pulse CO-oxymeter might reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with occult CO poisoning in patients presented with suspected CO poisoning in emergency settings.
Authors: Björn Jüttner; Hans-Jörg Busch; Andreas Callies; Harald Dormann; Thorsten Janisch; Guido Kaiser; Hella Körner-Göbel; Karsten Kluba; Stefan Kluge; Bernd A Leidel; Oliver Müller; Johannes Naser; Carsten Pohl; Karl Reiter; Dietmar Schneider; Enrico Staps; Wilhelm Welslau; Holger Wißuwa; Gabriele Wöbker; Cathleen Muche-Borowski Journal: Ger Med Sci Date: 2021-11-04