Comparison of pulse carbon monoxide oximetry with laboratory carbon monoxide oximetry regarding the time to diagnosis and treatment of patients with carbon monoxide poisoning: Is it a reasonable and necessary comparison?

摘要

I read with interest the study conducted by Dr Hampson [ 1 ] recently published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine. The author has performed a retrospective case-control study and matched 105 carbon monoxide (CO)-poisoned patients that had their initial carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level evaluated by pulse CO-oximetry with the same number of patients (matched from a total of 1606 patients) with the same diagnosis with their initial COHb level measured by laboratory CO-oximetry and found that the patients in the first (case) group had a significant shorter time to measurement of COHb, higher average levels of COHb, and shorter time from the end of CO exposure to the initiation of hyperbaric oxygen treatment.