Fatal unintentional non-fire-related carbon monoxide poisoning: England and Wales, 1979–2012

Abstract

Deaths from unintentional non-fire-related carbon monoxide poisoning are now much less common in England and Wales than in earlier years, but remain a cause for concern. Installation and proper maintenance of carbon monoxide alarms in dwellings and outhouses, for example, and education not only of the public, but also of health and other professionals as to the danger posed by carbon monoxide could help prevent such deaths.

Mortality and hospital admission rates for unintentional nonfire-related carbon monoxide poisoning across Canada: a trend analysis

“…18 The fact that these rates were highest for carbon monoxide poisoning that occurred in home and residential environments is consistent with previous reports from the UK and the US, although the magnitude of the trends was not reported in these studies. 8,9 Our results suggest that continued efforts should focus on educating Canadians on how to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in home and residential environments. Finally, carbon monoxide poisoning seems to occur mostly during the cooler months in Canada, which is similar to what has been reported in the US.…”

“…1,9,10 This decrease could be related to several factors. For instance, there may be improvements in the design, use and maintenance of home products and vehicles susceptible to the release of carbon monoxide.…”

“…17 Male patients in Canada had the highest rates of carbon monoxide mortality and admission to hospital, which is consistent with previous studies. 1,9,10 Behavioural factors could explain these findings: men may have more opportunities to use combustion appliances inappropriately or without appropriate ventilation. 18 The fact that these rates were highest for carbon monoxide poisoning that occurred in home and residential environments is consistent with previous reports from the UK and the US, although the magnitude of the trends was not reported in these studies.…”

Carbon monoxide poisoning as a cause of death in Wuhan, China: A retrospective six-year epidemiological study (2009–2014)

“…The CO poisoning cases are well reported in empirical studies and case reports that sampled Western populations. The manners of CO poisoning deaths, derived from the Western samples, can be classified as either accident or suicide; with homicide is rarely reported [3,[6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. In the East Asia, CO poisoning deaths are reported in South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan in the form of empirical studies and case reports [13][14][15][16][17].…”

Paediatric emergency department-based carbon monoxide detector intervention: a randomised trial

“…Non-fire-related carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, the leading cause of poison-related death in the USA, results in over 400 deaths 12 and 20 000 non-fatal injuries annually. 3 Many symptoms of CO poisoning, including headache, dizziness, nausea/vomiting and loss of consciousness, are easily mistaken for other conditions including viral illness.…”