Availability of bedside and laboratory testing for carbon monoxide poisoning in the upper midwestern United States Journal Article uri icon
Overview
abstract
  • Introduction: The objective of this study was to assess the ability to test patients for carbon monoxide (CO) exposure in all hospitals in three United States (U.S.) Midwestern states. Methods: We surveyed hospitals in three states. Telephone queries assessed processes for measuring carboxyhemoglobin, including capacity for real-time vs send-out testing. Facilities were separated based on their location's population size for further analysis. Descriptive statistics are reported. Results: Of the 250 hospitals queried, we ultimately excluded 25. Nearly all (220, 97.8%) reported a process in place to test for CO exposure. Over 40% (n=92) lacked real-time testing. Testing ability was positively associated with increasing population size quartile (range 32.6% - 100%). Hospitals in the lowest-quartile population centers were more likely to report that they were unable to test in real time than those in the largest-quartile population centers (67.4% vs 0%). Conclusion: In a large geographic region encompassing three states, hospital-based and real-time capacity to test for CO exposure is not universal. Hospitals in smaller population areas are more likely to lack real-time testing or any testing at all. This may have significant public health, triage, and referral implications for patients.

  • Link to Article
    publication date
  • 2019
  • published in
    Research
    keywords
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Environmental Exposure
  • Hospitalization
  • Poisoning
  • Screening
  • Additional Document Info
    volume
  • 20
  • issue
  • 3