Pulse Oximetry Unreliable for Carbon Monoxide Diagnoses
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A new analysis shows that pulse oximetry is not reliable enough to be used to diagnose carbon monoxide poisoning, researchers said at the European Emergency Medicine Congress (EUSEM) 2022. A review of the literature found that the approach, while simple and easy to do, does not identify carbon monoxide poisoning almost a quarter of the time.
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@ryansh Carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the world's most common causes of poisoning deaths. When people are exposed to the colorless, odorless carbon monoxide, it enters their bloodstream and attaches to hemoglobin, a transporter of oxygen, thereby starving the body of oxygen. It can be treated with oxygen, but the problem is that its symptoms can be similar to infections, such as the flu, and can be difficult to diagnose.