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Health Indicator Report of Carbon Monoxide: Hospitalizations and Emergency Department (ED) Visits

Hospitalization and emergency department (ED) visits for carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning are almost entirely preventable if proper measures are taken, such as always having a working carbon monoxide detector in your home or work. CO is found in combustion fumes, such as those produced by cars, trucks, small gasoline engines, stoves, lanterns, burning charcoal and wood, gas ranges, and heating systems. Wherever a flame or combustion occurs, some deadly carbon monoxide gas can be produced. CO from these sources can build up in enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces causing people and animals in these spaces to be poisoned by breathing it. CO poisoning is especially of concern after emergency situations such as power outages or natural disasters because of emergency equipment used that give off CO. Generators, grills, camp stoves, gasoline equipment, propane, natural gas, or charcoal-burning devices should never be used inside a home, basement, garage, camper, or even outside near an open window. CO poisoning can also occur outdoors and has been reported while boating. In this case, CO poisoning is attributed mostly to generator exhaust that builds up inside and outside a boat in areas near exhaust vents. Dangerous concentrations of CO can accumulate within seconds; due to the possibility of rapid CO accumulation while boating, it is recommended that all boat owners schedule regular engine and exhaust system maintenance for their boats and install and test daily a battery operated CO detector. CO poisoning is almost entirely preventable. To protect yourself from CO poisoning, use equipment that emits CO responsibly and install a properly working CO detector in your home. These can be purchased at most grocery and home improvement stores for a relatively low cost. Additionally, it is crucial to check and maintain your CO detector including, but not limited to, changing batteries and checking its power source.

Notes

These records use the same data sets that are used for the hospital discharge and emergency department records queries, except the date of admission is used here (instead of the date of discharge). Therefore, small number differences are possible.   [[br]] [[br]] Age-adjusted rates were calculated using the direct method to U.S. 2000 standard population.

Data Source

Utah Inpatient Hospital Discharge Data, Office of Health Care Statistics, Utah Department of Health

Data Interpretation Issues

Hospitalization and emergency department (ED) data may underestimate carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning prevalence because these data may not include those who call poison control centers and are managed at the scene, those who do not seek any medical care, or those who die immediately from CO exposure without medical care. The toxic effects of CO exposure are nonspecific and easily misdiagnosed when CO exposure is not suspected. Misdiagnosed cases are not counted. Due to different surveillance practices, data may not be fully comparable between states or jurisdictions. As of October 1, 2015, the U.S. is currently using the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) to code hospitalizations and emergency department visits. Prior to the change, carbon monoxide hospitalizations and emergency department vists were defined as any diganosis code that included 986, E868.0, E868.2, E868.3, E868.8, E868.9, E982.1, excluding E950.0-E979.9 and E990.0-E999 (ICD-9 codes). These are now defined as codes in T58 (ICD-10 codes). Comparison of data prior to the code change may not be appropriate.

Definition

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless, and poisonous gas that can cause sudden illness and death if inhaled.

Numerator

Number of hospitalizations or emergency department visits for carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning

Denominator

Midyear resident population estimates.

What Is Being Done?

Organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), offer free resources that provide information about CO poisoning and prevention. Also, health promotion and community outreach activities are available to educate the public about CO poisoning and prevention. However, it is primarily up to the individual to practice behaviors that prevent CO poisoning such as installing working CO detectors and using equipment that emits CO gas properly.

Available Services

__Utah Poison Control Center__[[br]] The Utah Poison Control Center (UPCC) is a 24-hour resource for poison information, clinical toxicology consultation, and poison prevention education. This free and confidential service is available 365 days a year. For poison emergencies, questions, and prevention information, call 1-800-222-1222.

Page Content Updated On 11/18/2020, Published on 01/13/2022
The information provided above is from the Utah Department of Health's Center for Health Data IBIS-PH web site (http://epht.health.utah.gov). The information published on this website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following citation: " Retrieved Thu, 28 March 2024 14:32:18 from Utah Department of Health, Center for Health Data, Indicator-Based Information System for Public Health Web site: http://epht.health.utah.gov ".

Content updated: Thu, 13 Jan 2022 15:12:14 MST