Epidemiological status of patients with carbon monoxide poisoning in Tabriz

Abstract

This study examined demographic characteristics and clinical signs and causes of carbon monoxide poisoning. The aim of this study was to identify the causes of preventable poisoning and to raise public awareness of the reduction in mortality and carbon monoxide poisoning. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Prehospital emergency and disaster management center of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences and the information of the patients transferred to the hospital and diagnosed with CO poisoning was collected during 2016-2018. Data including age, gender, time of accident, location, and cause of the accident, vital signs, and outcome of the patient were collected at the incident scene. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 17. Finding: In the present study, a total of 2344 medical records were evaluated, 53 of which were excluded due to incomplete information. Finally, the medical records of 2291 patients were evaluated. The mean age of the patients was equal to 30.62±17.32 years old (ranging from 1-93 years old). With regard to gender, 1010 patients (44.1%) were male and the rest were women. With regard to the accident site, 1963 patients (85.7%), 49 patients (2.1%), and 236 patients (10.3%) were injured at home, work, and in the backpacking tents, respectively and the rest were injured in the wedding hall. With regard to the cause of the accident, 1309 patients (57.1%), 840 patients (36.7%), and 132 patients (5.8%) were injured as a result of being exposed to the fireplace, wall-mounted water heater, picnic gas stove, respectively and the rest were injured due to the exposure to the fireplace. Moreover, 484 patients (21.1%), 79 patients (3.4%), 673 patients (29.4%), and 1053 patients (46%) were injured in spring, summer, fall, and winter, respectively. The highest and lowest number of poisoned patients were found in January (431 patients, 18.8%) and August (24 patients, 1%), respectively. Among the patients examined, 66 patients (2.9%) died at the incident scene. The mean age of death was 33.84 ± 15.77 years old. The average vital symptoms of the survived patients included heart rate was 93.24±23.15 per minute, mean arterial pressure of 81.18±61.67mmHg, and arterial oxygen saturation of 93.39±16.22%.