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Updated: Jun 12, 2025

Expired CO2 Measurement in Intubated or Spontaneously Breathing Patients from the Emergency Department
Published on: January 29, 2011
The Prognostic Effect of Air Pollution in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department with Carbon Monoxide
Mustafa Sabak1, Muge Gulen2, Salim Satar2
1Gaziantep University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Gaziantep, Turkey.
Objective:
Weather conditions such as low air temperatures, low barometric pressure, and low wind speed have been linked to more cases of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. However, limited literature exists regarding the impact of air pollution. This study aims to investigate the relationship between outdoor air pollution and CO poisoning in 2 distinct cities in Turkey.
Methods:
A prospective study was conducted at 2 tertiary hospitals, recording demographic data, presenting complaints, vital signs, blood gas and laboratory parameters, carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels, meteorological parameters, and pollutant parameters. Complications and outcomes were also documented.
Results:
The study included 83 patients (Group 1 = 44, Group 2 = 39). The air quality index (AQI) in Group 2 (61.7 ± 27.7) (moderate AQI) was statistically significantly higher (dirtier AQI) than that in Group 1 (47.3 ± 26.4) (good AQI) (P = 0.018). The AQI was identified as an independent predictor for forecasting the need for hospitalization (OR = 1.192, 95% CI: 1.036 - 1.372, P = 0.014) and predicting the risk of developing cardiac complications (OR: 1.060, 95% CI: 1.017 - 1.104, P = 0.005).
Conclusions:
The AQI, derived from the calculation of 6 primary air pollutants, can effectively predict the likelihood of hospitalization and cardiac involvement in patients presenting to the emergency department with CO poisoning.
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